A week ago or so, Kris asked in the comments if I had any plans for this Valentine's Day. With the holiday now just around the corner, I thought I'd share some of the things I'll be doing for my family to celebrate. More than just about any other year, this year, I really have to work with what I've got. So, here's the first of a handful of posts telling you what we'll be doing.
This first one is a family tradition that goes back over 30 years in my household and was inspired by a treat that my mother would make about 60 years ago.
For special days (birthdays, Christmas, St. Patrick's Day), my mom would make shaped pancakes to delight my sister, brother and I when we were small children. She would "draw" the shapes on the griddle with the tip of her large spoon and ordinary pancake batter that she thinned just a bit, making teddy bears, our initials, shamrocks, bells, "gingerbread" men, and Christmas trees.
When my own oldest child was a toddler, I discovered that hearts are also easy to "draw" with the batter. Ever since, I've made heart-shaped pancakes for my family nearly every year. Some years, I left the pancakes plain, so they could be to-go Valentine's breakfasts. Other years, when Valentine's fell on a weekend, I pulled out all the stops.
Well, this year, Valentine's Day is on a Sunday, which means I'll be up bright and early making heart-shaped pancakes with all the trimmings.
I use a large serving spoon to make the heart shapes, pouring the batter into a large blob, then drawing it down on one side.
And finishing the other half of the heart on the other side in the same way, just reverse.
They don't look perfect, but they're close enough.
Once flipped over, they begin to look better.
After they finish cooking, I plate them up then outline the edges with whipping cream and fill in the centers with whatever red or pink jelly or jam I happen to have. This year, I'll be using pink vanilla-rhubarb spread to fill the centers.
Pancakes are a very inexpensive treat that I can make for my family any time the mood strikes. The ingredients are basic -- flour, milk, egg, oil, sugar, salt, baking powder -- and items I always have on hand. Making them festive is the fun part. To this day, I think chocolate chip pancakes are still my daughters' favorite festive pancakes. But I also like to add colored sprinkles for confetti pancakes or top with fruity syrups to change things up from the traditional maple syrup. But for this upcoming holiday, it just wouldn't be Valentine's Day if I didn't make heart-shaped pancakes.
Tomorrow, I'll share another Valentine's treat I have ready and waiting.
