For the pancakes:

1. Heat your oven to 200 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together with a whisk or fork until combined. In a separate small bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla together until combined. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry mixture, and GENTLY fold or mix together until almost combined. Pour in the melted butter and continue to fold/mix until combined. Lumps should remain, and small pockets of flour are ok. Be careful not to overmix or you will toughen the pancakes by creating too much gluten. Please be gentle. Set the batter aside.
2. Heat your griddle to 350 degrees, or heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with just a tiny bit of oil or margarine. Scoop about 1/3 cup of pancake batter onto your griddle or skillet and smooth down to flatten with the back of a spoon, otherwise you’ll have oddly-shaped pancakes. Cook on the first side for about 3 minutes, and on the second side for about 2 minutes. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

For the apples:

1. Peel and core your apples and cut into even-sized chunks. In a 10-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, nutmeg if using, and salt. Gently fold and mix the mixture until every apple is evenly coated. Allow to cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until apples are softened and fork tender.
2. Assemble your pancakes, top them with butter, and pour the apple/caramel mixture on top of the pancakes. Serve immediately.