Lemon Buttermilk Pancakes
These light and fluffy lemon-scented pancakes are sure to become your new Sunday morning staple. The secret to keeping the pancakes light is to fold whipped egg whites into the batter, and avoid over-mixing. Serve simply with warm maple syrup, or turn it up with whipped cream and berries, too! Uses [KitchenAid® Hand Mixer](https://yummly.app.link/3fJnJV3rd1).
Lemon Buttermilk Pancakes
These light and fluffy lemon-scented pancakes are sure to become your new Sunday morning staple. The secret to keeping the pancakes light is to fold whipped egg whites into the batter, and avoid over-mixing. Serve simply with warm maple syrup, or turn it up with whipped cream and berries, too! Uses [KitchenAid® Hand Mixer](https://yummly.app.link/3fJnJV3rd1).
Ingredients
Lemon curd (optional for garnish)
Fresh fruit (optional for garnish)
Maple syrup (or blueberry, optional for garnish)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/3 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Step by step
Special Equipment: baking rack; rimmed baking pan; spatula; wide spatula
In a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Fit the KitchenAid® 7-Speed Hand Mixer with the turbo beater attachments. Place the beaters into the dry ingredients and turn to speed 2. Mix until combined, about 10 seconds. Turn the mixer off.
Add the buttermilk, whole eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and lemon zest to the dry ingredients. Place the mixer back into the bowl. Turn to speed 2 and mix until the batter is smooth, about 30 seconds. Turn the mixer off and remove the turbo beaters.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the egg whites. Fit the hand mixer with the whisk attachment. Place the whisk into the eggs and turn the mixer to speed 7. Whip for 1 minute, or until soft peaks form. Turn off the mixer.
Using a spatula, carefully fold the egg whites into the pancake batter until just combined. Take care not to overmix the batter; there should be some egg white lumps!
Place the batter in the fridge to rest for 10 minutes. (NOTE: This step is optional, but it will allow the batter time to thicken and the starch in the flour to hydrate which will yield a better finished pancake.) While the batter is resting, pre-heat a cooking surface - either an electric griddle set to 325ºF/162ºC, or a large cast iron pan set to medium-low heat. Add a Tablespoon of butter and let it melt in the pan.
Using a ¼ cup measurer or small ladle, pour the batter in circles into the pan. Cook until the bottoms are evenly browned and bubbles appear on the surface of the batter, about 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and continue to cook until until golden brown on the other side, 1.5-2 minutes longer. Remove the finished pancakes from the pan and cook the remaining batter, using more butter as needed to grease the pan.
Finished pancakes can be kept in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Chef’s Notes: To test whether your griddle or pan is hot enough, drop a Tablespoon of batter in the center of the cooking surface. If, after a minute, the bottom of the pancake is golden brown, the pan is ready. If the bottom is too light or too dark, adjust the heat accordingly. Stovetops and griddles vary, so you may need to adjust the heat settings as you cook the pancakes.