Butter or grapessed oilor oil of your choice, for frying
Pure maple syrup and softened butterfor serving
Instructions
In a small bowl combine sugar and lemon zest, and rub together with your fingers until sugar is fragrant and light yellow. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the lemon sugar. Set aside.
In a separate bowl or a large 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients all at once into the dry ingredients. Add the poppy seeds and stir until just combined, leaving a few lumps if necessary. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
If you're making baked pancake mini muffins, preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the inside of a regular mini muffin pan, or if you’re using a silicone mini muffin pan, there’s no need to butter the pan. Fill the cups about ¾ full with batter, and place the filled pans on a cookie sheet, and into the preheated oven. Bake until golden brown, and springs back when touched, about 15-25 minutes. Serve with softened butter and maple syrup.
If you’re making regular pancakes, heat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a small amount, about a teaspoon, of butter or oil to the pan. Ladle batter onto hot pan, about 1/3 cup per pancake, and cook until golden brown on the bottom and small bubbles appear on on top. Flip the pancake, and continue to cook until golden brown on each side.
Place cooked pancakes on an oven-proof plate and place in a warm (about 200° F) oven until all pancakes are cooked and ready to serve. Serve with softened butter and maple syrup.
Notes
Makes about 36 mini muffins or 20 small pancakes. We've made these both as regular pancakes and as mini muffins, and they're great either way.