I (Heart) Pancakes

HEART-SHAPED PANCAKES: A DELICIOUS WAY TO SAY “I LOVE YOU”

When I created this recipe, we were on strawberry overload at home, and I wanted to get creative on how best to use them all while they were fresh.

I love pancakes, and we were eating them pretty regularly at the time. So with Valentine’s Day approaching, I thought it would be fun to make some Strawberry Pancakes. But, why not take it one step further and make them Heart-Shaped Strawberry Pancakes? So, here we have a delicious Valentine’s Day Recipe for Homemade Strawberry Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup.

Using your favorite recipe or Bisquick makes this a very easy treat to whip up on a whim. I wanted my heart-shaped pancakes to be pretty, and I knew I couldn’t make a “pretty” cake by free-handing them. I’ve seen pancake shaping tools in stores but didn’t have one. What I did have though was a big collection of cookie cutters. Sure enough, it worked like a charm!

I also made some cute little heart-shaped pats of butter using some candy molds I had on-hand. They were both easy and adorable! I hope you like these Valentine’s Day Recipes and will give them a try for your family.

Note for helping hands:  The metal cookie cutter will get hot when it is in contact with the pan or skillet, so do not let children handle it, and be careful to set it aside between pancakes.

Strawberry Pancakes With Homemade Strawberry Syrup

Ingredients
  

For Pancakes:

  • 14 medium strawberries to make 1/2 cup fresh strawberry juice
  • 2 cups Bisquick
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup strawberry-banana juice (I used V8 V-Fusion)
  • Red gel food coloring (optional)
  • Cooking spray

For Syrup:

  • 2 tbsps seedless strawberry jam
  • 2 tbsps maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp butter

Instructions
 

For Pancakes:

  • Blend strawberries and strain them to produce ½ cup fresh strawberry juice.
  • In a bowl, mix juice with Bisquick, eggs, and strawberry-banana juice. Add food coloring if desired.
  • Lightly spray inside of metal heart-shaped cookie cutter with cooking spray. (Repeat this every time — it keeps the batter from sticking.) Place cookie cutter on pre-heated pan or skillet.
  • Using a ladle, pour a thin layer of batter into the cookie cutter, being sure not to overfill.
  • When little bubbles form (see photo), use tongs to carefully lift cookie cutter straight up. If needed, jiggle the cookie cutter ever so slightly to release it from the batter.
  • Flip pancake with spatula when ready. Cook on other side for another minute or so. Remove pancake from pan and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate, so it won’t get soggy from the condensation of the heat against the plate while you make more.

For Syrup:

  • In a small saucepan, combine ingredients and cook over low heat. Stir occasionally until heated through and syrup is smooth. Serve immediately.

JENNIFER CARROLL is a Southern gal with an unquenchable thirst for all things creative. She wears many hats—photographer, blogger or designer—but always, an extremely enthusiastic home entertainer. No matter what she is doing, she is committed to celebrating everyday life. Visit celebratingeverydaylife.com.


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