How to Cook Heart Shaped Pancakes

Heart shaped pancakes are a great idea for many different occasions. They can be used as a fun Valentines' Day treat for your kids, a romantic breakfast in bed for your lover, or even on anniversaries. The best part about them is they are fairly simple to make, but they look like something you've slaved over for hours. You can make them using pancake molds or cookie cutters in a heart shape, but if you don't have those, it's ok. You can also make them using things you probably already have in your kitchen.

The first thing you need is pancake batter. You can of course choose to make this from scratch, however, it's much easier to use a pancake mix. Using a mix you simply add water and stir. Be careful not to add too much water though, you want the batter to be kind of thick. You can also add things like blueberries or chocolate chips to the batter if you'd like.

Next you want to pre-heat the pan. Even though you pre-heat the pan, the first couple of pancakes probably won't turn out right. Don't get discouraged though, these are just used to test the heat of the pan. Once you get the hang of how long to cook the pancakes the rest will turn out great. Remember, if you aren't using a non-stick pan, you will want to add a little butter to the pan or your pancakes will stick.

Now you'll need a ziploc bag. Put the pancake batter in the bag and seal it. Hold the bag at a diagonal angle with the corner facing upwards. Cut the corner creating a small hole. You will be holding the ziploc bag like you would a pastry bag that you decorate a cake with.

Using the ziploc bag, put the pancake batter in the pan drawing a heart shape. You should be making the outline of a heart. Next, you are going to fill the heart in. You do this by drawing a "V" shape in the inside of the heart. Once the top of the pancake begins to look dry and has little bubbles in it, flip the pancake over. When both sides are thoroughly browned take the pancake out of the pan and place on a plate. Cook as many pancakes as you would like using this technique.

You can even make the pancakes extra special. Instead of using the normal boring syrup, top your pancakes with different things, You can use powdered sugar, whipped cream, or even strawberries. It may take a couple of times to get it right, but your family will love this special treat!