Blackberry Ricotta Dutch Baby
Whenever spring comes around, I always get excited because that means stones fruits are finally available. Stone fruits, or peaches, plums and cherries, are my all time favorite fruits. I can’t wait for them to show up in the supermarket and I’m crushed when they disappear in the fall. But stone fruits aren’t the only fruits available this time of year. A variety of berries also make their appearance.
While strawberries hit prime ripeness in March and April, you have to wait a little longer for raspberries and blackberries. They’re not usually ready until late June or early July. But once in season, those little blue, black and red spheres are great in just about anything. I’ve added them to granola and salads. I’ve turned them into sauces for chicken and beef. I frequently use them in desserts and I always seem to add them to my pancakes and waffles.
It’s true, berries are a great way to spice up breakfast treats from the griddle. While most people tend to pile them on top of their pancakes and french toast, I like to mix them in. I grew up on my mother’s blueberry pancakes and for special occasions I’ll take the extra time to stuff them in French toast. It’s amazing how just a few little berries can turn a basic breakfast into something really special, which is why I decided to add them to this wonderful dutch baby.
As I said, I usually put my berries on top of dutch babies and French toast, but this time around I decided to throw them into the batter. I always loved it when I cut into my mom’s pancakes and was surprised by a big, plump blueberry. So, I knew a handful of blackberries would have the same effect. Turns out that sweet flavor permeates the batter like nothing else. But adding blackberries wasn’t enough for me. I had some ricotta cheese in the fridge and thought it would add a nice tang to complement the berries while making this fluffy pancake even more rich. But you only want to add a small amount of the ricotta. Too much of this dense cheese and you have a dense dutch baby, and nobody wants that. But with just a small amount of ricotta and a few blackberries you’ll get a dutch baby that will turn a basic breakfast into something really special.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 pint of blackberries, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Put the butter in a Pyrex pie plate and place in the center of the oven while it warms up.
- Crack the eggs into the blender and blend on high for 1 minute. While the blender’s running, add the milk, ricotta, vanilla, lemon zest and salt and continue to blend for another minute or two. Gradually add the flour to the running blender and continue to blend for another minute or two until totally combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pie plate. Sprinkle half the blackberries over the top of the batter. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until it’s puffed up and a nice golden brown. Let cool for a minute or two. Slice the dutch baby and serve with the rest of the blackberries and a little powdered sugar.
