Heart-Shaped Pancakes

What You Need:

• Two bowls
• Whisk
• Mixing spoon
• Measuring cups
• Heart-shaped metal cookie cutter
• Griddle (greased)
• Knife
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour (stirred and sifted)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups of milk
• 2 tablespoons of butter (melted)
• Syrup

What You Do:

1. Help your child measure out the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Have your child add the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir the mixture together.
2. Show your child how to crack the eggs into a second bowl. Then, let your child use the whisk to stir up the eggs.
3. Take over duties and measure out the milk, pour it into the bowl, and continue to stir up the mixture.
4. Have your child add the dry ingredients from the first bowl into the wet mixture. Mix all the ingredients together until the batter is fairly smooth and free of any large lumps.
5. Melt the butter in the microwave, and ask your child to add it into the pancake batter. Mix well.
6. Take over and grease the griddle and heart-shaped cookie cutter with butter and turn the stove on.
7. Wait until the butter is hot and bubbling just slightly, and then help your child measure out the first couple of pancakes. Aim to make each pancake with about ¼ cup of batter.
8. Place the heart-shaped cookie cutter on the griddle and carefully pour the batter into the cookie cutter so that it forms a heart shape. Cook the pancake until bubbles are forming at the top and the edges of the pancake appear to be pulling away from the cookie-cutter. (Pro tip: To ensure that your pancakes keep their shape, cover the batter with a metal pot lid while cooking the first side.)
9. Remove the cookie cutter from the grill and flip the pancake. The pancake is completely done once each side has turned a warm, golden brown.
10. Finish cooking all the batter, and then let the pancakes cool just slightly. Help your child cut each pancake into a large heart shape.

The pancakes are ready to enjoy! Cover them with a combination of butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit for an extra-special treat. Happy Valentine's Day!