PUMPKIN, RICOTTA HOTCAKES, WITH HOT HONEY BUTTER AND OATS

I was making the children hotcakes the other day and had a little piece of pumpkin lying around.  I decided to grate the raw pumpkin into the batter and added a little ricotta.  They were delicious but to lift them to the next level of deliciousness I toasted oats, added butter and honey and generously spooned this hot honey butter over the fluffy hotcakes.  They were insanely good.

Makes 8 hotcakes

Ingredients

150g raw pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, grated

2 eggs

¾ cup milk

¼ cup ricotta

3 Tbsp sugar

180g flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

⅛ tsp salt 

Topping 

50g oats

80g butter, plus extra for cooking

1 Tbsp honey

Pinch ground ginger

Method

Whisk the eggs, sugar and milk together for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Sift the flour and baking powder and salt together.

Fold through the egg mixture.

Add the grated pumpkin and ricotta and gently fold through until just combined.

Add 25g butter to a large heavy based fry pan.  When melted and bubbling add spoonfuls of batter allowing space for spreading. Cook over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes each side.  The hotcakes should be well risen, golden and fluffy.  Remove and keep warm, continue until all the batter is used (you may need to add a little more butter). Set aside and keep warm.

To make the hot butter.  Heat a small fry pan onto the heat.  Add the oats and lightly toast them.

Add the butter and allow it to go slightly brown.  Add the honey and allow it to bubble,  remove from the heat. Stir to combine and spoon this delicious butter over the hotcakes.