Strawberry Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

I love a big stack of pancakes, hot off the griddle!  And these Strawberry Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes are a delicious twist on a classic favorite.  The strawberry lemon flavor of the pancakes is perfectly topped with this yummy sweet strawberry syrup.  What a great way to say, "Good Morning"!

Strawberry Syrup
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and diced
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey

Pancake Batter
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons poppyseeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
juice of 2 medium lemons
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups strawberries, diced

Directions
First, make the syrup.  Add strawberries, sugar, water, vanilla, and honey to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat.  Stir fequently until sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. You can serve it like this with chunky strawberries (which is what I prefer) or you can blend in food processor.  When syrup is smooth with only small bits of strawberries left, allow to sit and thicken over very low heat until pancakes are ready.  Next, make the pancakes.  Preheat large nonstick pan or skillet over medium-high heat. While skillet is heating up, mix the pancake batter.  In a large bowl combine flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until well mixed. Add lemon juice, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs.  Whisk until smooth.  Gently stir in the diced strawberries.  Grease hot griddle with butter (adds a yummy buttery flavor that you don't get if you use cooking spray).  Pour batter onto hot griddle and cook until golden on each side, about 3-4 minutes on the first side and 1-2 minutes on the second side. Repeat with remaining batter until all pancakes are made. Serve warm with strawberry syrup and additional fresh strawberries and powdered sugar if desired.

Source:  Creme de la Crumb