A Breakfast They Will LOVE!

Start Valentine’s Day off right with heart shaped waffles, bacon, and real maple syrup.

Valentines Day is not just for lovers, it was one of my favorite holidays long before I had even my first boyfriend. A huge reason for that is my mom, who always made a point of getting me new PJ’s with hearts all over them, or a big box of chocolates, or some other equally appealing (and perfectly themed) holiday treat. So it is probably no surprise that I have continued that tradition with my own children.

Don’t get me wrong, my husband will ALWAYS be my Valentine, but I have loved making a big deal about Valentine’s Day from the time our kids were small. And there is no better way to start the day than with a breakfast of heart shaped waffles! And since Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, it really is the perfect day to start your family celebration early. It might even leave time for a romantic dinner for two later in the day.

See all those little spots? Those are drips from my coffee accumulated over the many years I’ve been making these! Proof it is a recipe you will pull out again and again.

And this recipe, HERE, is without question the best waffle recipe out there. It comes by way of my friend Kirstin, who actually asked for the recipe as a birthday gift from her childhood friends’ mother. If there is a better endorsement for any recipe than requesting it as a gift, I do not know what it is. Anyway, Kirstin told me how great the waffles were, so I called her the next day and got the recipe over the phone. Like many of my favorites, it is written on a post it size piece of paper with only the bare minimum of information. Which means it is not complicated and chances are good you have everything you need on hand right now. Except maybe a heart shaped waffle iron, which you should definitely get! I mean, the whole family will enjoy it, right?

I’ll admit that I scoured the internet for the exact brand that I have, Vitantonio, but I could only find it used on EBay. I have had mine for over 20 years (that came as a gift from my Granny, who knew her girl loved waffles and got me an iron of my own when I was not even 20) so maybe they just don’t make the heart shape any more. And though there is apparently a market for my well used iron, it is not for sale. There are a quite a few different models available on Amazon, and one really ritzy one at Sur la Table, so if anyone finds a model they are making today and can recommend please share it with me in the comments. I’d love to know which one to try should my beloved Vitantonio stop working.

If you are not a morning person (which I am DEFINITELY not!) then make the batter the night before. Just whisk again for a minute in the morning while your iron is heating and you are good to go.

Wishing you all a Waffley Happy Valentine’s Day!

Print Recipe

Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup canola oil

Instructions

• Stir together dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk wet ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
• Use approximately 1/2 cup batter per waffle, depending on the size of your waffle iron. Batter can be refrigerated for several days.