Lemon Poppyseed Yogurt Pancakes
Makes about 24 x 4-inch pancakes.
We love light & fluffy pancakes as a treat for Sunday brunch. We have a Meyer lemon tree in the back so look for ways to use them up, and yogurt is a good way to keep pancakes fluffy without bothering with a whipped-egg-white soufflé-type pancake. This recipe has, as often happens, converged from a variety of sources, including The Joy of Cooking.
Both ingredient bowls can hold for a bit until you’re ready to cook. When ready, heat up an electric skillet to 350°F and follow the standard pancake procedure.
In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients:
2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients:
⅔ cup Greek yogurt (if you use more liquid yogurt, cut down on the milk)
⅓ cup sour cream
2 eggs
½–¾ cup whole milk (start low until you mix into dry ingredients)
¼ lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼–½ cup poppy seeds (your taste)
When ready to cook, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix, not forgetting to rubber scrape the bottom and sides so you don’t get clumps of dry flour on the bottom. The batter should be pretty fluid but not thin; adjust with extra milk or white flour until the consistency is right. Cook following standard pancake procedure.
Toppings we’ve enjoyed:
Fresh Maine Blueberries & Syrup
Mix a few cups of fresh Maine blueberries with enough maple syrup to leave the blueberries coated, and with a bit of syrup in the bottom of the bowl; but make sure the berries are not sitting or drowning in syrup. Serve the bowl of berries with a ladle alongside the pancakes. Substitute 1 cup whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the white flour in the pancakes if you want to make things a bit more Maine-hearty.
Notes to Self
Maybe our kitchen is overheating too often, but our poppy seeds always turn rancid sitting in the spice cupboard. Leave them in the freezer until you’re ready to use them, similar to other sensitive nuts and oils.
With a sweet (maple syrup) topping, the tartness of the pancake balances is needed, so don’t add any sugar or syrup to the batter.
