Serve some heart-shaped pancakes to kick off Valentine's Day -- or any other special day! Pancake batter makes nearly ideal "ink" on a hot griddle. We used our regular made-from-scratch pancake recipe with a splash of extra milk for fluidity and doubled the recipe so we'd have plenty to practice with.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. sugar (optional)
• 4 tsp. baking powder

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp. milk (or buttermilk)
• 4 tbsp. butter or margarine

Instructions

1. Preheat griddle over moderate heat while you mix batter. Sift (with a real sifter, if possible) flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into a bowl. Combine egg, milk, and butter in a separate bowl and slowly stir into dry ingredients. Mix well so lumps won't gum up the process.

2. When a drop of cold water will dance on the griddle, begin cooking. To make a "pen," funnel the batter into a squeeze bottle with a hole in the cap, such as a clean chocolate syrup container. On the griddle, shape the hearts one lobe at a time. They're really just a V shape, which spreads out into a heart on the griddle. You can also write secret messages or your child's initials. Top with fresh berries and maple syrup. Makes 24 pancakes.
   
   TESTER'S TIP: For a perfectly shaped heart, make regular round pancakes and cut them out with a heart-shaped cookie cutter.

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Find more about:

• Hearts |
• Milk |
• Pancakes, Waffles & French Toast |
• Valentine's Day |
• Whole Eggs

Related Categories:

• Pancakes, Waffles & French Toast |
• Breakfast Ideas |
• February 2006