Griddle Cheesecakes(Pan) with Cranberry Sauc

These aren’t really pancakes and they aren’t exactly cheesecake. They’re somewhere in between. Low-fat cottage cheese gets pureed smooth and blended with eggs, flour, and baking powder into a thin batter that cooks on a hot griddle like a pancake but tastes like a light, tangy cheesecake.

Lemon zest in the batter keeps things bright and prevents the cottage cheese from tasting flat. Spread each spoonful to about ¼ inch thick on the griddle. They need about 3 minutes on the first side until bubbles cover the surface, then a quick minute on the flip side.

The cranberry sauce pulls together separately. Fresh cranberries simmered with sugar, cornstarch, and orange juice until every berry bursts, then pureed smooth. The tartness of the cranberry against the mild, creamy cheesecake pancake is what makes this pairing work so well.

This is a lower-fat dessert that doesn’t taste like a compromise. The cottage cheese keeps the richness without the heaviness of cream cheese.

Pro Tips

• Puree the cottage cheese until completely smooth. Any remaining curds will create lumps in the batter that look unappealing on the griddle.
• The griddle is ready when water droplets dance across the surface. Too cool and the cakes spread too thin. Too hot and they burn before cooking through.
• Make the cranberry sauce first and set it aside. It can be served warm or at room temperature.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until smooth and stop. Overbeating toughens the flour.

Variations

• Blueberry sauce: Swap cranberries for fresh blueberries and reduce the sugar slightly for a sweeter, milder summer version.
• Ricotta version: Replace the cottage cheese with whole-milk ricotta for a richer, more traditional Italian-style griddle cake.