apple cinnamon pancakes

To ease my guilt over having pancakes for breakfast, I set about giving them a healthy makeover. I used half wholemeal, half white flour, and added a grated apple for a built-in serve of fruit. The apple led to a dash of cinnamon. And guess what? This take on the original ricotta pancakes is just as light and fluffy, but a little moister and sweeter. So still an indulgent weekend breakfast (compared to my usual fare of oats), only better. A little healthier.

Apple cinnamon pancakes
Still made only five, though the last one was humungous.

• In a medium bowl, combine half a cup of wholemeal SR flour, half a cup of white SR flour, 1 tbspn vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt.
• Into this grate 1 apple, including the skin. Shake over this a good dash of cinnamon.
• In another bowl, combine 3/4 cup milk and 1 egg, then add this to the dry ingredients.
• Then add 100 gms ricotta and 30 gms or so (that small a bit is hard to measure out precisely!) of butter that you have melted. Stir all until just combined; don't worry if you have sone lumps of ricotta.
• Over a medium heat in a large non-stick frypan, melt a little more butter then spoon in the pancake mixture, making the pancakes as big as you like but flattening them out if necessary so they cook evenly. Cook for a few minutes on each side until done (though am I the only person who doesn't mind a squidgy bit of batter in there?). Serve with natural yoghurt and fruit and a clear conscience.