Serve some heart-shaped pancakes to kick off Valentine’s Day. Pancake batter makes nearly ideal “ink” on a hot griddle.

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
• Strawberries
• Bananas

Method

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. Top with heart-shaped bananas, stawberries and maple syrup. Makes 24 pancakes.