Lemon Ricotta Pancakes With Blackberry Jam

Step 1: Sift the flours, 1/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt one at a time into a large bowl, making sure there are no lumps. Give it a quick whisk to make sure everything is evenly distributed and set aside.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, fold the ricotta and 4 teaspoons of the sugar together, making sure not to break up the ricotta too much. You want to have some bigger chunks in the pancakes eventually. Set aside.

Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk the milk, egg yolks, and lemon zest until fully incorporated and set aside.

Step 4: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites with the remaining 4 teaspoons sugar on medium-low speed until they form medium-stiff peaks. Keep an eye on this because you can overmix it.

Step 5: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the milk mixture until combined. Add the ricotta mixture and fold gently (you want some nice big chunks). Finally, fold in the egg whites until just incorporated.

NOTE: Do not overmix this batter and activate the gluten. The key to a good pancake is not letting the gluten get tight- you want the pancakes fluffy.

Step 6: Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees F, or place a large, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter until slightly browned, adding more as needed between batches.

Step 7: Measure 1/4 cup of the batter per pancake and pour onto the griddle to make sand dollar-sized pancakes. As the pancakes begin to bubble and set on the bottom, flip them. If you're not sure whether they're ready to flip, get under them slightly with your spatula and take a little peek: you want them to fluff up and have a nice golden-brown color. Never push down on the pancakes.

Step 8: Top each pancake with 2 tablespoons warmed blackberry jam and serve with maple syrup at the table.