When my (now) husband Kevin and I first got together back in March of 2007, we did what all newly dating couples do: eat out. A lot.

There came a time when the comfort factor slowly started setting in. Naturally, this meant more cooked dinners at his place or mine. One thing I remember doing is turning up to his apartment on a Sunday morning with all the ingredients ready to make a killer brunch. These pancakes were one of those Sunday morning brunch specials.

The first time I told Kevin I was making pancakes, he didn’t seem too excited. I was really concerned, as I wasn’t sure about being in a relationship with someone who couldn’t get excited about pancakes. He later told me that his dad was a really good cook, but always under cooked pancakes. He was convinced that all pancakes gave him indigestion.

Well, sure enough he quickly changed his mind after trying these stacks of deliciousness.

Tip: warming the ricotta and maple syrup makes these pancakes the perfect winter warmer.

 Pancakes with Ricotta, Strawberries & Grilled Bananas

Serves 4
You will need:
2 cups of Self Raising flour
1 teaspoon Bi-carbonate Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups Milk (I use Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze)
2 eggs
2 bananas
1 teaspoon of butter (for grilling bananas)
1 heaped cup of strawberries
4 heaped tablespoons of warm ricotta cheese
1/2 cup toasted almonds to serve
1 cup warm maple syrup to serve
Cinnamon sugar for dusting

In a bowl, sift together flour, bicarb, baking powder.

Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add eggs, sugar, vanilla and milk.

Whisk until smooth and even.

Heat a large non stick frypan over a stove top set to medium. Using a ladle, pour the batter onto the hot pan. Flip when bubbles appear over the entire pancake. Use tiny amounts of rice bran oil spray if you feel the batter is sticking.

Continue cooking pancakes until you have finished the batter.

On a separate frypan, grill two peeled bananas over a teaspoon of butter.

Stack 4 pancakes per serve – Top with sliced strawberries, half a grilled banana and one perfectly rounded scoop of warmed ricotta (I use an ice cream scoop.) 
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and toasted almonds and pour warm maple syrup.

Viola Marie Doyle is a Sydney based writer, cake decorator, food enthusiast and frequent jet setter. As former Editorial Consultant of The Journal Magazine Australia and current Editor of Project Sweet Stuff, Viola now relishes the opportunity to explore the little curiosities that she defines as the sweet life. Follow Viola on Instagram @violamariedoyle