Bill's Ricotta Hotcakes.

I once ambitiously had a huge dinner party for a group of people, which included a handful that I'd never met before. It was one of those last minute ideas. One of those ones that seemed like a good idea at the time.

I decided to make my own ravioli with pumpkin inside along with an equally ambitious main and dessert. In the end the ravioli was under cooked and my dessert, peach and raspberry tart, was a little bit the same.

It was over the entree that two of my guests {whom I'd never met before - friends of friends} decided to inform me that they were food stylists. I looked down at my ravioli, which looked decidedly grey and unappetising, and sighed. Stylish, this food wasn't. I hurried back to the kitchen to fix the main {Parmesan chicken and salad} and sat with my guests to eat.

You could be a food stylist, my guests quipped, you're really good at this.

I looked at them waiting for the laughter. They appeared serious. They began to tell me that the food we see in magazines is mostly inedible once they're done. They have to use hairspray, paint, glue and many other products to make the food look good in the photographs. I've never looked at food in magazines the same. And I never really knew if they were having a dig at me or not.

Over the weekend I made my all time favourite breakfast, ricotta hotcakes. I tried to make it look all lovely and fancy for the photos, but I couldn't make it pretty. And I wasn't about to go and ruin a good meal with hairspray or paint.

If you've never tried these before, I demand that you do. They're a taste sensation. Please, please, please make the honeycomb butter too. It's super easy and keeps in the fridge for ages.

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups ricotta {you can use low-fat if you like}
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs, separated
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
50g butter {I actually forgot to put this in, and they still worked perfectly}


To Serve
banana
honeycomb butter {see recipe below}
icing sugar for dusting


Honeycomb Butter
250g unsalted butter, softened
100g honeycomb, crushed {I leave mine a little chunky, cos that's how I roll}
2 TBS honey
Just combine all the ingredients, roll into a log and cover in cling wrap and keep in the fridge.


Method
Place ricotta, milk and egg yolks in a bowl and mix to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the ricotta mixture and mix until combined.

Place egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites through batter with a big metal spoon.

Lightly grease a non-stick frying pan with a little butter, and cook pancakes. Smaller is better. Cook over low to medium heat for 2 minutes each side, or until golden. Turn and cook on other side.

Transfer to plate. Add some banana, and a slice of the honeycomb butter. Enjoy.

*They say that the honeycomb butter is delicious on toast, but I'm not game enough to try. Let me know if you do.

What is your favourite breakfast dish?