Ricotta Infused Pancakes and Thyme Syrup (Paula Deen)

I quite often have the TV on in the background while I am working in the house or at my computer, a lot of the time the station of preference is the Food Network. One day Paula Deen was on and she had the following recipe. I have tried several of her recipes not loving any but this one caught my ear and when I tried it the recipe caught my heart as well. It was really terrific and also helped my search for recipes using fresh Thyme since I have a plethora in my back yard right now.


Ricotta Infused Pancakes and Thyme Syrup
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients
•2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•1 1/2 cups whole ricotta cheese
•1 cup whole milk
•3 large eggs, separated
•1/4 cup sour cream
•1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
•2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
•1 cup chopped pecans
•1 teaspoon salt
•Thyme-Infused Syrup, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, milk, egg yolks, and sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the thyme, lemon zest, pecans, and salt. Add the flour mixture, stirring until smooth.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture. Ladle about 1/3 cup of the batter for each pancake onto the hot griddle, or in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tops are covered with bubbles and the edges look dry. Turn, and cook on the other side. Repeat the procedure with remaining batter. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately with Thyme-Infused Syrup.


Thyme-Infused Syrup:
•1 cup sugar
•2 cups water, plus 1 teaspoon cold water, for slurry
•20 fresh thyme sprigs
•1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, whisk the sugar and water together to combine. Add the thyme sprigs; then reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl until well mixed. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sugar mixture and simmer until thickened to a syrup. Remove from the heat, and strain into a serving bowl. Discard the thyme sprigs.

Yield: 2 cups
.