Apple Pancakes with Cinnamon Butter

Name: Apple Pancakes with Cinnamon Butter
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 0.5 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; 0.5 cup powdered sugar; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.5 tsp grated orange peel; 2 tsp fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp grated lemon peel; 2 medium Granny Smith apples , peeled, halved, cored; 1.67 cup all purpose flour; 2 tbsp golden brown sugar; 2.5 tsp baking powder; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.75 cup whole milk; 2 large eggs; 0.5 cup unsalted butter; 1 melted; 1 divided

From the kitchen of Carly

Fluffy pancakes studded with tart Granny Smith apples and topped with a silky cinnamon butter spiked with citrus. The lemon juice keeps the apples fresh and bright while the brown sugar adds subtle depth. Simple breakfast, serious flavor.

Granny Smith apples grated straight into the batter make these pancakes tender and moist without adding enough liquid to make them soggy. The trick is letting the batter rest so the flour fully hydrates and the apple releases its juice slowly. Top with cinnamon butter spiked with orange and lemon zest for something that tastes more sophisticated than the simple components suggest.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

1/2 cupunsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cuppowdered sugar
1 tspground cinnamon
1/2 tspgrated orange peel
2 tspfresh lemon juice
1 tspgrated lemon peel
2 mediumGranny Smith apples , peeled, halved, cored
1 2/3 cupall purpose flour
2 tbspgolden brown sugar
2 1/2 tspbaking powder
1/2 tspsalt
3/4 cupwhole milk
2 largeeggs
1/2 cupunsalted butter
1melted
1divided

Instructions

Beat all the cinnamon butter ingredients together in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and evenly blended.
Pour the lemon juice and grated lemon peel into a bowl. Coarsely grate the apples directly into the bowl, tossing as you go so the shreds get coated in the juice before they can brown.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt, then hollow out a well in the center. Pour in the milk, eggs, and 1/4 cup of the melted butter, whisking from the center out until the batter is smooth. Fold in the apple mixture, then cover the bowl and let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Set the oven to 250°F and slide a baking sheet inside to warm. Place a heavy large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then brush it with some of the remaining 1/4 cup melted butter. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto the griddle, keeping the pancakes spaced apart. Cook until the bottoms are golden and bubbles begin breaking on the surface, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook until the second side is golden, about 2 minutes more. Transfer each batch to the baking sheet in the oven to stay warm, brushing the griddle with more butter before starting the next batch. Repeat until all the batter is used.
Fan the pancakes out across plates, crown each one with a dollop of cinnamon butter, and serve straight away.

Tips from the kitchen

Grate the apples into the lemon juice mixture as directed, don't skip this step. The acid keeps the apples from browning and seasons them evenly before they hit the batter.
Let the batter rest the full hour if you can. Longer rest time means fluffier pancakes because the baking powder has time to work and the flour absorbs moisture more evenly.
Keep the griddle temperature honest at medium-high. Too low and the pancakes spread into thin, rubbery discs. Too high and the bottoms char before the centers cook through.
Make the cinnamon butter ahead and let it soften to room temperature so it melts into pools on warm pancakes.

Variations

Swap the Granny Smiths for Honeycrisps or Pink Ladies if you prefer less tartness, but reduce the brown sugar in the batter by 1 tablespoon so they don't oversweeten.
Skip the orange zest in the cinnamon butter and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of cardamom instead for a warm, spiced take.
Fold 1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts into the batter after the apple mixture for crunch and nuttiness.
Make these as a stuffed pancake by sandwiching cinnamon butter and a thin apple slice between two smaller pancakes for a fancier presentation.

Make ahead and storage

Store cooled pancakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in a low oven (300°F) for about 5 minutes to restore their texture without drying them out.