Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Cook's Notes:

These Lemon Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes start your day with protein and flavor! They’ll quickly become a new breakfast favorite. Simplify your cooking and make the batter the night before. Blueberries are added  right before cooking. Amazing how cottage cheese makes a fluffier pancake. 

Recipe adapted from rachelcooks.com

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup skim or 2 % milk
• 1 TB. canola oil
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 TB. lemon juice
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. Saigon cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 TB. sugar
• 1 pint blueberries (try to find the small ones)  
• Optional 3 tsp.poppy seeds

Directions:

• In a blender, combine eggs, cottage cheese, vanilla, canola oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk. Blend until smooth.
• In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and poppy seeds if using). To the dry ingredients, add the blended wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat – grease or spray if needed. Drop batter by about 1/4 cup amounts onto the preheated skillet. Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side (will depend on the heat of your skillet) or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve immediately.

Feeling Creative? Try this holiday idea.

Omit the blueberries in the batter and follow these directions below using a heart mold.  
Note: these molds are available online through Target, Walmart and Amazon. 

1. Lightly spray the inside of your pancake molds with nonstick cooking spray, and coat a griddle or nonstick pan with a little softened butter. 
2. Place the mold onto the griddle, and heat over medium-high heat.
3. Ladle 1/3 cup batter into each mold. Cook until bubbles begin to form on top of the batter, about 2 minutes, then remove the molds and use a spatula to flip the pancakes to the other side. Cook for 2 more minutes until the pancakes are golden brown on the other side. Transfer the pancakes to a warm plate. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven while you repeat with the rest of the batter.
4. Serve with warm maple syrup, powdered sugar, and berries.

Bonus: The next day pancakes can be reheated in the toaster to crisp them up :)