A perfect alternative to a bacon & eggs brunch.

Brunch is undoubtedly my favorite meal, and while I have a pretty exclusive relationship with Bacon & Eggs, I do stray from time to time, but only for a really spectacular alternative, and I have it here with these Apple & Crème Fraîche Pancakes.

This pancake recipe evolved out of a recipe by the inimitable Ina Garten, Banana Sour Cream Pancakes, in her Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook. However, a little tweaking, a missing ingredient or two (which, I’m convinced, is the impetus of most recipe evolution), and a desire to rid myself of a few soon-to-be-dated items yielded this fantastic recipe.

It is a composition of stunning contrasts, which tend to make the most interesting dishes. The lemon and crème fraiche add a tang to what is generally a very mild, peaceful dish. The heavy dairy component gives a velvety weight to what is still a very fluffy pancake (the pictures don’t do justice to the pancakes but do illustrate how high they rise).

It should also be noted how very simple these are to make – don’t let the ingredient list or description fool you. You can be out of bed and serving these in 20 minutes.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Apple & Crème Fraîche Pancakes, Yields 6 Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 ½ Cups Flour

3 Tbls. Sugar

2 Tsp. Baking Powder

1 ½ Tsp. Kosher Salt

½ Cup Crème Fraîche 

¾ Cup Milk

2 Large Eggs

1 Tsp. Maple Syrup

2 Tsp. Grated Lemon Zest

1 Apple, sliced into thin discs

Butter for Frying

Sift the flour, sugar, and baking powder into a bowl; add the salt and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, milk, eggs, maple syrup, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth – a couple lumps won’t hurt.

Melt butter in a large griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Ladle the batter into the pan. The trick to nicely rounded pancakes is to use either a soup ladle or a measuring cup, and pour the batter steadily onto one spot. Don’t try to move your pour to create a circle; poured steadily, the batter will spread on its own into a nice circle shape. Cook for 1 minute to firm the bottom of the pancake before adding 1 or 2 apple discs to the top. Cook for another minute or two, turn the heat down to Medium-Low, and flip the pancake to cook on the fruited side. This side has to cook for 2-3 minutes but on the lower heat in order to cook through without scorching the apple.

Repeat through the rest of the batter. Add fresh sliced apples to the top of the stack of pancakes, drown in maple syrup, and devour.