Something a little different today for the blog, getting a little nostalgic, and it’s a V-Day themed idea!  I recalled a childhood memory of my mom using those pancake/egg rings in multiple shapes to cook with.  I’m sure I realized it then, and as I think about it now, it’s a very cute thing to do and makes basic meals suddenly really fun and special without having to become a master chef.  It’s the little things, as always.  So if it’s your own kids, family, him, or her you’re trying to smother with love this Valentine’s Day, try incorporating these easy DIY techniques for turning your favorite brunch items into heart shapes.

 

Heart-Shaped Eggs

Story time.  Every Thursday, I go to the same farmer’s market to get 18 farm fresh eggs because they changed my life.  That orange yolk is so rich and bomb.  Nothing else I’ve tried is as good, and ever since I discovered them almost two years ago I’ve been eating them pretty much every day for breakfast.  I’m that type of person who’s totally cool with eating the same thing every day if it’s this good, so when we’re talking about making a favorite brunch, these eggs are mandatory for us.

I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter sprayed with cooking oil along the inner edge and placed it on an oiled pan at medium heat.  I cracked the egg directly into the mold and used a spoon to move and hold the yolk in the center.  After the egg cooks a little, the yolk will stay.  Any egg white that seeps through the bottom of the mold can just be cut off later.  Once cooked, I removed the mold with tongs and then scooped the egg onto a plate.

Salt and peppered with a side of thick-cut bacon and a cup of coffee = our perfect breakfast right there, we can stop now, but ok there’s a couple more ideas.

 

Heart-Shaped Fruit

Some friends for those pancakes.

Cut off the green top of the strawberry in a V shape, then diagonally slice a little off the left and right sides to create the heart shape.

Turn the strawberry on its side and slice it.

You can do the same with bananas.  Bonus: eat the scraps as you go, ok?

 

Powdered Sugar Heart

Heart-shaped pancakes can for sure be made using the same tools we used for the eggs, but after seeing the heart detail for this cocktail, I thought it was too cute not to try something similar.Fold a piece of card stock in half and draw half a heart.  Cut along the line to create this heart cut-out.

Center the heart on top of the pancake and tap powdered sugar over it using a strainer.

Remove the paper very careful upwards so that the heart doesn’t get smudged.

Do this right before serving because the heat from the pancake will melt the sugar (lesson learned).

 

Did you/do you have similar traditions of playing with the shape of your food?  What else could we turn into hearts??