Start by making the apples and sauce. Place the water, golden syrup, brown sugar, butter and sliced apple into a large saucepan. Heat, without stirring, on a medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the liquid comes to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then turn the heat off.
Whilst the apples are cooking, place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, shredded apple, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, salt and milk in a large bowl. Use a whisk to mix until combined. Don’t over-mix – a few lumps are fine.
Pour ¼ tbsp. oil in a large skillet, then wipe around with a kitchen towel to cover the pan. Heat the pan on a medium heat until hot. Pour in enough mixture to make three pancakes (approx. ¼ cup of mix per pancake). Cook for about 1-2 minutes until bubbles form on top of the pancakes and then burst, and the edges start to look firm. Cook on the other side for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the mixture – oiling the pan each time – until all the pancakes are cooked (you can keep the pancakes warm in a very low oven whilst you’re making each batch).
Place 3 pancakes on each plate (the recipe makes approx. 12 pancakes). Top each stack with wedges of the cooked apple, then spoon on a heaped tbsp. of crème fraiche. Pour over the apple-syrup sauce before serving.