Valentine's Breakfast with Kiddo

     I love to do unexpected things for special occasions.  This morning for Valentine's Day I made a special breakfast for the Kiddo, something we eat all the time, but with a Special Valentine's day flair.  I'm talking about heart shaped pancakes with strawberries.  The Kiddo was so excited!  "I love pancakes!  I love strawberries!  They are my favorite!"  It was all the better for the Bob's Red Mill 10 grain pancake mix, homemade cultured buttermilk, homemade vanilla extract (thanks Alana! I learned from her book The Homemade Pantry), backyard eggs and frozen strawberries picked last June in the garden.  There was enough for breakfast and leftovers for another day.  I find the orange extract in the pancakes really complements the strawberries.

Heart Shaped Pancakes with Strawberries
1 cup Bob's Red Mill 10 grain pancake mix
1 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
1 cup (or so) cultured buttermilk, or milk, or water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp orange extract
Topping - 1 cup frozen strawberries, defrosted, mixed with 2 tbsp evaporated cane sugar, left to macerate for about 10 min.
Butter
Grade B maple Syrup

Heat non-stick griddle (see Note).  Mix all pancake ingredients, except topping and maple syrup.  Let sit 5 minutes to hydrate whole grain flour.  Add buttermilk/milk if necessary to achieve pouring consistancy.  Transfer batter to a measuring cup with a pour spout.  Carefully pour two small circles of batter close together so they touch as they spread out, then add the point in the center.  I was able to fit eight 3x3 hearts on my griddle at at time.  Cook until edges are dry and small bubbles are popping in the center, some leaving holes and golden brown on underside. Flip.  Cook until golden brown and done, should spring back in center when lightly touched with finger. Serve with butter, strawberries and accumulated juice and grade B maple syrup.  Serves 3-4, about 16 small pancakes.

Note: The only non-stick/teflon item I have in my kitchen is an electric griddle for making pancakes or masses of french toast or grilled cheese sandwiches.  I find that I have difficulty making pancakes on cast iron, and that I need to add too much butter to keep them from sticking, and it creates a different type of pancake texture than I desire.