Strawberry Clouds

On a recent Saturday morning I had a hankering for pancakes. Elliott is usually up for a weekend feast but he wanted to somehow offset the white flour. He threw some flax seeds into the batter and voila, our version of a compromise: I got my flapjacks and he got his fiber. What I didn’t expect was the dreamy concoction he created for the topping. It was like dessert in the morning but so much more subtle and sophisticated than your typical maple syrup. And don't let the flax seeds scare you. Their nutty flavor and slight crunchiness turn your old friendly pancake into a completely new experience. You can change up the berries if you like, but it will still be a meal straight from heaven!

Pancake mix (we like Bob’s Red Mill Buttermilk mix)

Flaxseeds 2 tbl 

Frozen Strawberries 1 10 oz bag 

Lemon Juice 1 tbl

Sugar 1/4 cup

Vanilla bean and extract to taste

Whole Milk Ricotta 1 cup

Honey to taste

Add flaxseeds to the dry pancake mix and incorporate wet ingredients until just combined. Don’t worry if it’s lumpy. Meanwhile, dump the strawberries in a sauce pan on low and let them do their thing until thawed. Add lemon juice, sugar, and a little vanilla extract. Simmer for ten minutes until the strawberries have broken down and it looks delicious. For the topping, mix together the ricotta with some honey and fresh vanilla scraped from the bean. Once the pancakes have cooked, layer with a dollop of the ricotta mixture and some of the strawberries. A little bacon on the side never hurts.

Here is another version with blueberries and waffles. For a twist, add some lemon zest to the ricotta.