CARAMELIZED APPLE PANCAKES

This recipe is delicious eaten any morning of the week or served as an accompaniment to roasted pork or chicken. Try to not eat all of the apples before you are ready to incorporate them into the pancakes and don't be surprised if they find they're way to dish of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, real maple syrup or a glass of Grand Marnier!

2 each green and red apples
¼ c. brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
4 eggs separated
½ c. ricotta cheese
½ c. cottage cheese
1 ½ c. all purpose flour
¼ t. kosher salt
2 t. baking powder
1 c. buttermilk
2 T. cointreau
Zest of 1 orange and lemon

Peel and slice apples into wedges and toss in the juice of 1 orange and lemon.

Melt ¼ cup of butter in a large sauté pan on top of the stove. Add brown sugar, single layer of apples and a dash of salt and pepper. Do not crowd the pan. Sauté the apples over medium-low heat until they begin to turn a golden color and begin to puff up. Continue with remaining apples, butter and sugar. Set aside to cool.

Beat the egg whites and set aside. Mix the dry ingredients together. Blend the wet ingredients, including the egg yolks, into the dry. Add in 1/3 of the egg whites to loosen the mixture. Fold in remaining beaten egg whites.

Preheat a Teflon pan and spray with Pam.

As you are preparing the pancakes fold in the apples a few at a time. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan and as they begin to bubble around the edges, gently turn them over. Continue to cook until set. Reserve some of the apples for garnish.

Serve immediately or remove to a towel lined baking sheet and hold in a warm place for 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!