Ricotta Pancakes with Caramelised Apples and Maple Syrup

Pancakes: Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and ricotta. Stir in the milk and melted butter. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, being careful not to over mix. Set aside for ½ an hour.

Heat a large fry pan or 12cm blini pan to a medium heat and brush with a little of the extra melted butter. Ladle spoonfuls of mixture into the pan and turn when bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes. Cook until golden and keep warm in a low oven.

Apples: Melt the butter and sugar together in a large sauté pan. Halve and core the apples and cut into wedges, about ½ cm thick. Place the apples in the sauté pan with the butter and brown sugar and cook gently until the apples begin to caramelise. Add the lemon zest and juice and the sultanas and continue cooking until the apples are golden and caramelised. Stir in the maple syrup.

To serve: Pile the pancakes onto a plate and put the apples in a bowl. Serve with crème fraîche or thick Greek style yoghurt. Makes 12-14 12cm pancakes. Serves 6

Blini Pan: these small pans are made from heavy steel and are ideal for individual pancakes such as the ones above or for small pies or frittata.