Ricotta hotcakes with poached raspberries

Ingredients

• 165 g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
• 180 ml (3/4 cup) water
• 300 g raspberries
• 2 eggs
• 250 g (1 cup) ricotta
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
• 125 g (1/2 cup) natural yoghurt
• 2 tbsp caster sugar, additional    
• 150 g (1 cup) self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Oil for cooking 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

Place the caster sugar and water in a medium-sized saucepan over a low heat to allow the sugar to dissolve. Raise heat and bring to the boil.

Place the berries in the hot syrup and heat through. Strain the berries immediately, reserving the cooking liquid.

Return the cooking liquid to the saucepan and boil to reduce by half. Allow the syrup to cool a little, and then add the berries.

Beat the eggs and ricotta. Add milk, yoghurt and additional 2 tbsp caster sugar, and beat until smooth.

Sift the flour with baking powder and salt, and add to the ricotta base. Stir until combined. It should be quite thick.

Heat a heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat. Add a splash of oil, then a few ladlefuls of ricotta mix. The mixture should spread to around 6 cm wide.

Cook until the base is golden brown. Turn the hotcakes over and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.

Repeat until the mixture is used up, adding more oil as needed and keeping the cooked hotcakes warm in the oven. The mix makes about 12 hotcakes.

Serve hotcakes with poached raspberries on top.