One of my favorite things to do is bake. My husband always encourages me to go bake when I’m feeling stressed. I like using my creativity to make something that looks and tastes good. And my son is quickly becoming the little baker himself. He is my right hand when it comes to making pancakes, muffins, scones, and cupcakes.
Today, my son and I made “Love Bug” Cinnamon Pancakes, a recipe I received courtesy of McCormick (the company specializing in spices, herbs,and seasonings). If you’re looking for a unique and creative way to spend Valentine’s Day, check out McCormick’s holiday-themed recipes and craft ideas. They offer adorable ideas for making Valentine’s Day a “Red Letter Day.”
This year, we’ll have both kids with us, so we could use a little inspiration to make it fun for all of us. McCormick’s food colors and flavor extracts are perfect for baking AND crafting. If you and your child are planning on bringing treats to school, consider adding a splash of color to the frosting with McCormick’s Red Food Color. Depending on how many drops you add, you could have frosting (or batter for that matter) in shades of pink or red. If you’re looking to give cakes or cupcakes some texture, you could tint toppings such as shredded coconut or sugar. Be sure to add a special note to any baked item to make it personal.
Here is the recipe for the pancakes we made this morning (Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut the pancakes for a special touch):
Tip: Spice up your pancake mix and syrup with cinnamon and vanilla.
Makes 4 (3-pancake) servings.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
2 cups pancake mix
1 teaspoon McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
1. Stir pancake mix and cinnamon in large bowl until well blended. Stir in eggs, milk, oil and vanilla just until blended.
2. Pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto preheated lightly greased griddle or skillet. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side or until golden brown, turning when pancakes begin to bubble. Serve pancakes with Spiced Syrup (recipe follows), if desired.
Spiced Syrup: Mix 1 cup pancake syrup, 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract and 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice in microwavable bowl or measuring cup. Microwave on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until warm, stirring once.
You can also top pancakes with strawberries, raspberries, cherries or dried cranberries to give them a bit of color!
McCormick’s food colors can also be used for art projects. Here are three craft ideas, courtesy of McCormick:
Water ColorsCombine 1 Tbsp. white vinegar with 2 tsp. baking soda. Slowly add 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1/4 cup glycerin. Pour 1 inch of the mixture into 6-8 paper cups and let dry overnight. Once dry, add McCormick Red Food Color, making sure to use a lot as the color isn’t as deep when it dries. To use, dip a paint brush into some water, then into the homemade paint (it’s eco-friendly too).
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water, and 1/4 cup McCormick Cream of Tartar and 20 drops of McCormick Red Food Color in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Cool on wax paper, then knead slightly until dough is smooth. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to create personalized valentine’s. Store in airtight container.
For more recipes and tips on making Valentine’s Day a Red Letter Day, just visit McCormick! I highly suggest checking out their Red Velvet Cupcake recipe (YUM!).
I did not receive compensation for this post. Product samples and tips were provided to facilitate this review.
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Those measuring cups are too cute!!!
I love the pancake/cookie cutters. What adorable things you could do with them… They would be great to make sandwiches with also.
Great ideas, too for the food coloring, thanks. I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day!