1 cup Fresh Ricotta (here), drained for 30 minutes 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 2 large eggs ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup Basic Dry Pancake Mix (here) 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon) Vegetable oil for cooking Maple syrup Whisk together the buttermilk, ricotta, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl Add the pancake mix and lemon zest and whisk until no dry flour remains (the mixture should remain lumpy—be careful not to overmix) Heat ½ teaspoon oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (or use an electric griddle) until it shimmers Reduce the heat to medium and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel Use a ¼-cup dry measure to scoop pancakes into the pan and cook on the first side until bubbles start to appear on top and the bottoms are golden brown, to minutes Flip the pancakes and cook until the second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes longer Serve the pancakes immediately, or keep warm on a wire rack set on a baking sheet in a warm oven while you cook the remaining batches Serve with maple syrup WAFFLES Waffles are like the cool cousin of pancakes: a bit more complicated, a bit more interesting, and a bit crustier on the outside But deep down, they’re almost identical When we’re talking quick American-style waffles (as opposed to, say, a traditional slow-rising yeasted, chewy Belgian waffle), we’re talking a chemically leavened batter, just like with pancakes But try throwing your pancake batter into a waffle iron, and you will run into trouble With pancakes, the steam evaporating as the pancakes cook has an easy escape route —you can see it coming out of the top of the pancakes as bubbles form With a waffle trapped inside its metal cage, it’s not so easy Waffles made from pancake batter come out gummy, with a distinct lack of crispness But I wanted to be able to start my waffles with my basic pancake mix so that I wouldn’t have to keep two mixes on hand in my pantry I realized the solution had to be twofold: I needed extra leavening power to help the waffles rise in their constrained environment, and I needed a method to ensure that they got crisp faster and stayed crisp I first tried adding a bit of extra baking powder and baking soda when I mixed up my batter It helped with the texture, but with too much chemical leavening, that soapy, metallic flavor started creeping in I’d have to find a physical means to leaven my batter instead I was already adding a good deal of bubbles with my whipped egg whites—what if I were to add even more in the ... you will run into trouble With pancakes, the steam evaporating as the pancakes cook has an easy escape route —you can see it coming out of the top of the pancakes as bubbles form With a waffle... hand in my pantry I realized the solution had to be twofold: I needed extra leavening power to help the waffles rise in their constrained environment, and I needed a method to ensure that they got crisp faster and stayed crisp...WAFFLES Waffles are like the cool cousin of pancakes: a bit more complicated, a bit more interesting, and a bit crustier on the outside But deep down, they’re almost identical When we’re