Fluffy Banana Pancakes With Caramel Pecan Sauce And Ricotta Cream

Description

Everyone loves pancakes. In this recipe, fluffy pancakes combine beautifully with bananas, pecans and caramel sauce, and are served with a delicious ricotta cream. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or after a light meal. Even better, most components can be prepared well ahead of time. The sliced bananas can be stirred through the batter just prior to cooking, or arranged over the top of each individual pancake as it cooks. If serving as a dessert, rum or brandy can be added to the caramel pecan sauce if you wish.

Instructions

1. Caramel pecan sauce: in a small non-stick saucepan, melt caramel pieces gently with the cream, stirring occasionally until smooth and blended
2. Add pecans and flaked coconut, stir to combine with sauce, then remove from heat
3. Serve warm over pancakes
4. Can be prepared the night before, then heated in the microwave until warm
5. Ricotta cream: place ricotta cheese, confectioners sugar, orange juice and orange zest in a bowl
6. Beat with a whisk until well combined
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve
8. Can be prepared the night before
9. Fluffy banana pancakes: sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl
10. Place buttermilk in a 2-cup glass-measuring cup and add butter
11. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, until butter melts
12. Lightly beat yolks, then combine with the buttermilk and butter mixture, whisking to incorporate
13. Then add vanilla essence and caster sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved
14. Add buttermilk mixture to the flour, and whisk together until batter becomes thick and smooth
15. Batter can be prepared to this stage, the night before
16. Beat egg whites in a clean dry bowl until stiff
17. Fold whites carefully into batter until evenly mixed
18. Heat a 6-inch diameter fry pan or skillet and brush lightly with melted butter, or spray with vegetable oil
19. For each pancake, pour 1 / 2 to 3 / 4 cup batter into pan, and swirl around quickly to distribute evenly over bottom of pan
20. Cook until bubbles begin to appear on the surface, then lay some banana slices over the top
21. When pancakes are lightly browned on the bottom, flip over and cook other side
22. When cooked through, transfer pancake to a baking tray and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest of the batter
23. To serve, drizzle warm caramel pecan sauce over each pancake, and top with a generous dollop or two of ricotta cream