A Blackberry Breakfast of Pancakes and Muffins

Fresh Blackberries

August, the month for blackberries. These delicate, plump berries that resemble raspberries aren't around for long. Their expensive price tag at the supermarket make it a 'once in a while' special treat worth splurging on. The fresh flavours of blackberries + lemon + ricotta create wonderful light summer treats. I have incorporated this combination in two recipes: pancakes and muffins.

Blackberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Last week, I made some Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. I loved those light-as-air pancakes so much I had no troubles deciding on what to do with the leftover ricotta cheese. More pancakes! (If you've read my Hawaii post, you may know I have a weakness for pancakes) Blackberries work just as well with lemon and ricotta and best enjoyed in the form of these fluffy pancakes. Using the pancake batter recipe linked above, but just replacing the blueberries with blackberries in the sauce.

Blackberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins

For the sake of trying a new recipes some of the ricotta went towards a batch of muffins. Same three flavours, but in a completely different form.
This muffin recipe is from Two Peas & Their Pod. Pretty much every blackberry ricotta muffin recipe on the Internet follows this recipe. 

Blackberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Of course, being me, I had to cut the sugar; it's part of Rachel-ifying a recipe. What confused me is how dry the batter was, and I had only cut one dry ingredient! So shouldn't the batter have been too wet? From my experience with this recipe, the muffins look more like a biscuit since the batter didn't spread out much in the oven. However, Krafted by Kelly followed the exact same procedure and the batter looked a tad thinner and spread out a lot more during baking. -shrugs-

Blackberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Minor exterior issues aside, these muffins taste phenomenal! Even after halving the amount of sugar, the muffins still taste perfectly sweet. The extra little drizzle of icing on top adds makes up for the major cut in sugar. Who knew lemon juice and icing sugar could taste so good? These muffins are super soft and tender and the ricotta keeps the muffin moist and light. Sooooo good~ I'm going to have to make both pancakes and muffins with each tub of ricotta I buy.

Perfect Blackberry Lemon Ricotta Muffin Interior

As for the inside of the muffin, my grade nine foods teacher would be so proud, no gaping holes here and there due to over-mixing the batter. Only small and even holes here! By the way, aren't the scalloped-edged muffin liners just adorable? The yellow and turquoise gingham pattern is so summer-y too; I adore this colour pairing!

Often I find the process of baking just as fun as eating the finished product. When making these muffins, be prepared to spend some time inhaling the smell of lemon zest and sugar in step three. If only my room and clothes could smell as fresh as this. Absolutely heavenly, I could spend all day smelling this.
 
Just looking at this post makes me salivate. Plump, juicy berries and sweet baked goods, yummm~ Please don't hold me responsible for ruined drooled-on keyboards...

The recipe for the fluffiest pancakes on Earth can be found here. My adaptation on the muffin recipe is below:

Blackberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Blackberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Slightly Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Yield: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• ¼  tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• A few grinds of Himalayan pink sea salt
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup coconut oil at a creamy consistency
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• ½ egg
• ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 18 blackberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, thoroughly toss together sugar and lemon zest.
4. Cream coconut oil and sugar mixture together until combined. Add ricotta, egg, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix until well combined.
5. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
6. Using a cookie scoop, place one scoop of batter in each prepared muffin cup. Press three blackberries into each muffin and top with one more scoop of batter. Gently spread batter to distribute batter into the empty spaces and smooth top.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. 
8. Enjoy warm (not pipping hot!) from the oven or cool completely before drizzling a simple icing of lemon juice and confectioner's sugar to decorate.

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Yes, I didn't wipe the flour off my measuring cup before taking this photo...