Sour Cream and Lemon Pancakes with Fried Apples

I was back in the kitchen with my dad over the weekend and he made us his usual breakfast feast of pancakes with apples. We always called it Baked Apples growing up, although we don't bake them at all. They are fried. Even better. Wheaties seriously needs to step aside because this is truly the breakfast of champions. I love having this leisurely, vacation breakfast with my parents before a long day of relaxing. My dad, of course, adapted the pancake recipe from one of Ina's pancakes recipes. Her recipe is for banana pancakes, but my dad improved upon her vision because these beauties are so much better without bananas. I don't really advocate for making pancakes for a huge crowd. This is a great, family breakfast for 2-4 people. If you have the occasion to make this, you should give it a try. You will not be disappointed!
Sour Cream and Lemon Pancakes with Baked Apples
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
4-5 apples
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
Unsalted butter for frying apples and pancakes
Maple Syrup

1. To make the fried apples, slice your apples into thin slices. 2. Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a frying pan and add the apples, cinnamon and the sugar. Cook this down for 20 minutes while you make the pancakes batter.
3. To make the batter, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk thoroughly so that they are well combined.
4. Whisk together the wet ingredients.
5. Zest the lemon and add it to the wet ingredients.
6. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. You don't want to over mix so your batter can be lumpy.
7. Melt 1 Tbs. butter into a frying pan (preferably non-stick for ease).
8. Ladle desired pancake amount (I usually do about 1/4 cup portions) into the pan.
9. Let cook for 3-4 minutes per side until done (each pancake will be different).
We serve the apples and the pancakes at the table so that everyone can make their own stack. We top the pancakes with apples and maple syrup and eat them up.
Ooooey goooey perfection on a plate.
And just for good measure, this is my dad shooing me out of his kitchen. I told you he doesn't like it when I try to take pictuers of his food!