CK's Kitchen: These cottage cheese pancakes are protein-packed

After being completely won over by those cottage cheese blueberry muffins last month, I felt inspired to try a recipe for cottage cheese pancakes that the author had aggressively hyped — she claimed her high‑protein flapjacks had gone viral, so of course I passed that excitement along to my crew. I boldly announced that Sunday big breakfast would feature "viral cottage cheese pancakes." Well … instead of flapping, they flopped. The batter was so thick it puffed up like biscuits in the pan, burning on the outside while staying raw in the middle. Not ideal. I salvaged breakfast with a trusty box of Dolly Parton pancakes, so no one went hungry or pancake-less. But then I stumbled on this new recipe, and more notably its companion video, and I felt that spark of hope again. I gave homemade cottage‑cheese‑powered pancakes another shot. And I'm so glad I did! The flip up There were so many things I loved about this recipe right from the start. First, it's basically the unicorn of pancake recipes. Instead of juggling scoops of batter and flipping a whole stack, you make just one — one big, gorgeous, golden‑brown, protein‑packed pancake (shoutout to cottage cheese … good culture this time). Second, it's wonderfully simple. A handful of ingredients go straight into the blender, and with one satisfying whirl, you're pouring the batter into a hot cast‑iron skillet. Five minutes later, you're slicing into warm, syrup‑soaked bites and enjoying 15 grams of protein — an experience that never happens when you're the designated pancake maker. Cake for dinner I decided to make these for dinner one night when it was just us girls — the three generations: me, my daughter, and my granddaughter. I made each pancake separately so I could really test how well the recipe worked. One note: this recipe is probably better suited to smaller blenders with removable blades. I had a bit of trouble getting all the batter out of my Vitamix. Aside from that, the recipe is perfection. The texture lands somewhere between a crêpe and a traditional pancake, which both my daughter and I loved— though the toddler wasn't quite convinced. We topped ours with fresh blueberries and a dusting of powdered sugar, and the three of us devoured all three big pancakes. They were so good I made them twice in one week. I tried smaller versions the second time, and they were a hit with the rest of our group. Make these pancakes — they do not disappoint! Contact Chrissy Kadleck at ckadleck@sbcglobal.net. Single-Serve Cottage Cheese Pancake Yield: 1 big, wonderful pancake! ¼ cup cottage cheese (4 percent milkfat) 1 large egg 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 2 ½ tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour) ½ teaspoon baking powder Teeny tiny bit of salt (let's say 1/8 teaspoon) ½ tablespoon butter for frying Maple syrup and butter for serving Make Batter: In this order, add cottage cheese, egg, flour, baking powder, and salt to a blender and blend until smooth. Melt Butter: Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat for a minute or so. Add the butter until melted. Cook Pancake: Pour pancake batter into the pan (I do enjoy one mega, buttery, super large pancake so I do this all in one, hence the single serve). Flip and Finish: Cook until bubbles form on top, about 1-2 minutes. Check underneath to ensure it's nice and golden, then flip and finish for 1-2 minutes longer. Serve: Serve with butter and maple syrup, or whatever toppings you like! Source: pinchofyum.com