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unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the griddle
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish
    COOKING TIP
    Dry ingredients can be assembled a day ahead; cover and store at room temperature.
1. For the Warm Maple-Butter Syrup: Place the butter and maple syrup in a small, heavy saucepan set over medium heat. Heat, stirring, until the butter has melted and blended with the syrup, 1 to 2 minutes. (This mixture can be prepared 2 hours ahead; leave at room temperature and reheat, stirring, over medium heat.) Pour into a heat-proof pitcher, such as a small creamer. Rub the underside of the lip of the pitcher with a dab of butter to prevent dribbles.
2. For the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones, and whisk to combine.
3. Heat a griddle or a large, heavy frying pan set over medium heat until hot, and then brush with just enough butter to coat the surface. Working in batches, pour generous ¼ cup/60 ml measures of the batter onto the hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the tops and the pancakes are golden brown on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove to a warm platter, and cover loosely with foil. (Do not stack the pancakes or they will steam and become flabby.) Repeat, adding more butter to the griddle until all the batter has been used.
4. Arrange three overlapping pancakes on each of four plates, and drizzle with some of the warm syrup. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce
    Ricotta cheese gives these golden pancakes their rich, smooth texture, while a generous addition of lemon zest provides a refreshing citrus accent. Beaten egg whites contribute a light airiness to the batter. The scrumptious blueberry sauce that accompanies these griddle cakes is simple to assemble, but needs a little simmering time to concentrate the flavors. You can make the sauce three days ahead and reheat it at serving time.

    Makes 12 pancakes, to serve 4
    PREP TIME:
    45 minutes, including making the blueberry sauce
    START-TO-FINISH TIME:
    1 hour
    MAKE AHEAD:
    Partially
    Blueberry Sauce
1 cup/240 ml cold water
½ cup/100 g sugar
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups/280 g fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries (defrosted and patted dry)
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
    Pancakes
⅔ cup/80 g all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs, separated
1 cup/225 g whole milk ricotta cheese
½ cup/240 ml whole milk
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp grated lemon zest
Canola oil
1. For the Blueberry Sauce: Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a heavy, medium saucepan and stir until blended. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring, until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the blueberries and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes.
2. Purée the sauce in a food processor or blender until smooth. Strain the puréed sauce through a fine-meshed sieve back into the saucepan. Return to medium heat and cook at a simmer until reduced to 1 cup/240 ml, about 30 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon. (The sauce can be prepared 3 days ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat when needed.)
3. For the pancakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ricotta, milk, sugar, and lemon zest until well blended. Gradually whisk in the dry ingredients.
4. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites until they are just firm. Gently stir one-third of the whites into the batter to lighten it. Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
5. Heat a griddle or a large, heavy frying pan set over medium to medium-low heat until