Photos by Andy Tullis / The BulletinChef Thor Erickson puts together his Nutella & Banana Whipped Cream Pancakes at the COCC Culinary School in Bend.

When Valentine’s Day lands on a weekend, that’s a good excuse for a date night with your sweetheart.

Make reservations ASAP, and then relax and let the restaurant do the cooking on Friday evening, while you do the lovey-dovey stuff (hand holding, a card, a small gift, a list of what you love about your special one, or the romantic gesture of your choice, of course.) That takes care of the end of the day.

But what about starting Valentine’s Day with a simple but special breakfast for your loved one (or ones)?

We’ve gathered several easy recipes for you to consider that will appeal to children as well as adults: a breakfast pie with bacon, eggs and cheddar cheese and a puff pastry top, heart-shaped buttermilk biscuits, and a deconstructed bacon and egg breakfast sandwich baked in a ramekin (see recipes). They come from “I Love Bacon!” and “Simple Comforts: 50 Heartwarming Recipes,” both from Andrews McMeel Publishing (www.andrewsmcmeel.com).

Bend chef and culinary instructor Thor Erickson told us how classic buttermilk pancakes (see recipe) can become amazing with creative toppings like Nutella chocolate hazelnut paste and homemade banana whipped cream. He has other good ideas for making perfect pancakes at home, so you can start Valentine’s Day right.

Let the batter rest

Erickson told us the key to great pancakes is letting the batter rise. That’s why restaurant pancakes taste so good — their batter has been rising all morning by the time you arrive for your stack.

“The night before, measure out the ingredients, then set the alarm. Mix it up, cover it, and let it sit for an hour or two. Go back to sleep for a while, and your pancakes will be fluffier,” Erickson said.

Make heart shapes

There are three main ways to make heart-shaped pancakes: 1) use a mold, 2) make round pancakes and cut out hearts with cookie cutters; or 3) use a batter or pancake pen to squirt out a heart shape. (Williams Sonoma sells these pens).

“I use a squeeze bottle to make pancake shapes for my son. And a cookie cutter works great to make a uniform stack,” Erickson said.

Special toppings

Top pancakes with flavors that will please your valentines. Real maple syrup might do the trick, or try a compound butter.

“A compound butter is really easy to make. You could do something as simple as grated lemon zest and honey. Take one stick of room temperature butter, the zested skin of one lemon, and a tablespoon of honey. Whip it up in a Kitchenaid mixer or by hand, and put it in the fridge overnight, or roll it up into parchment paper, and cut coins of butter to put on the pancakes,” Erickson said.

He suggested another compound butter, made with dried rose petals.

“Rose petals would be fun if you wanted to pump up the romance. They’re a Middle Eastern ingredient, and are even at Safeway these days. Make a compound butter with a couple drops of vanilla or with toasted hazelnuts in a stick of butter. The rose petals are dry, so crush up about a tablespoon of them, and add them to the butter. You want to use enough so the rose (fragrance) shows up and your family says, ‘oooh — roses!’” Erickson said.

For the adult palate, consider an alcohol- or liqueur-spiked syrup.

“If you’re using maple syrup, you could add a couple drops of whiskey, like Jim Beam, to make a whiskey maple syrup, or a Kahlua (coffee) maple syrup. Aim for a 5-to-1 syrup-to-liquor ratio. Frangelico (hazelnut) would be nice, too,” Erickson said.

If you’re feeding people who love chocolate, nuts and bananas, give them a thrill with banana whipped cream and Nutella. They can make their own buttermilk pancake stacks, spread with Nutella, and topped with homemade whipped cream into which you’ve folded a smashed banana (see recipe).

“You can make a big stack of them, and cut wedges out of it like a cake,” Erickson said.

What a delicious way to start Valentine’s Day.

— Reporter: ahighberger@mac.com