"Lazy" Sunday Morning Apple Pancakes

Boy has it been a rough week around here. I can’t point to anything that interesting or earth-shattering, but I am exhausted. We did have a small crisis with the kitchen design and window placement with the house that took up way too much mental energy, so maybe it is just a sign that now that the house is really getting going the next few months might be a little less prolific for me.

I don’t know, I hope not.

Going along with that exhaustion, I do not have pictures of my food today–I just could not bear the thought of trying to stop everything to take pictures. But I do have some house photos.

I guess the pictures are now getting self-explanatory….

This end of the house, which has the garage and laundry/pantry rooms, will not have a second story above it.

Anyway, back to food…

I found this great book on blueberries a few weeks ago–I thought wow, 8 billion different blueberry muffin recipes sounds very ME. And then I got a lemon book. And now an apple book. I am not much of a fruit person, but the fruits I do like in baking I like a lot.

These Apple Pancakes from Olwen Woodier’s Apple Cookbook jumped out at me right away as the perfect indulgent treat for a lazy Sunday morning. True, it was more harried than lazy, but they did not disappoint. As I have no photos, trust me when I say they are very tall, fairly fluffy but also just thick. And they are truly glorious smothered in butter and sprinkled with vanilla sugar.

Apple Pancakes
Adapted from Apple Cookbook, Olwen Woodier

2 cups (252 g) AP flour, sifted
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
2 cups plain sour cream
1/4 cup apple cider
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
2 medium apples, peeled, I used local Golden Delicious, 3 because they seemed small
butter for frying

Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Either whisk vigorously the 2 eggs or whip them in your mixer on medium high for 2 minutes.

While they are whipping, mix together the honey, butter, cider and sour cream. Whip into the eggs. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until evenly moistened. Grate the apples into the batter and mix just to distribute evenly.

Heat a nonstick skillet on medium. When hot, rub it with a cold butter stick and ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet. Watch closely–I burnt my first one, the final happy temperature for me was “4” but it will differ by cooktop. You may also need a lower temperature than you are used to because these pancakes are so thick and need to cook through. Flip the pancake when bubbles are popping through and it is looking less wet and glossy. I only rubbed with butter every third pancake or so–follow your instincts for your pan.

Serve with butter and vanilla sugar, or whatever appeals to you. Woodier also suggests lemon juice with sugar and melted marmalade.