Light and Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Start with the lemon sugar. In a large bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingertips for about 10 seconds, until the sugar looks slightly damp and smells like lemon candy.

Mix the rest of the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Whisk to combine.

Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, ricotta, eggs, vanilla, melted butter, and optional lemon juice until mostly smooth. A few small ricotta lumps are totally fine and honestly kind of nice.

Combine gently. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Fold with a spatula just until you do not see dry flour. The batter should look thick and a little lumpy. Stop early rather than late.

Preheat the pan. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium to medium-low. Add a small pat of butter and swirl to coat.

Cook. Scoop about 1/4 cup batter per pancake. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles form on top and the edges look set. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until golden and cooked through.

Keep warm and repeat. Transfer pancakes to a wire rack or a sheet pan in a 200°F oven while you finish the batch. Add more butter to the pan as needed.

Serve like you mean it. Top with berries and warm syrup. For a bright finish, add a tiny pinch of flaky salt right before serving. It sounds extra, but it works.