Equipment: stainless steel heart-shaped cookie cutters, DIY aluminum foil heart shape mold, or a squeeze bottle to “draw” pancake batter into heart shapes

1. For the strawberry purée: Place strawberries, maple syrup, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Blend for one minute. Use a spatula and scrape down the sides and blend for another minute, or until the ingredients are completely puréed. Transfer to a small saucepan and place over low heat (keep it at a gentle simmer—don’t let it boil). Keep warm until the pancakes are ready.

2. For the pancakes: Whisk the eggs, milk, and melted butter together in a large bowl. Add the pancake mix and stir until combined.

3. Place a large skillet or griddle on the stovetop over medium heat. Once hot, grease with butter.

4. If using a stainless-steel cookie cutter or DIY foil heart mold, lightly grease the inside of it and place on the skillet. Use a measuring cup with a spout to slowly pour about ¼ cup batter into the heart-shaped mold. Leave the mold in place until the batter begins to set and then carefully remove. If needed, use a butter knife to run around the edges to loosen the mold from the batter. Note: Be careful not to leave too long or the batter will be difficult to loosen from the mold. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown on the first side, then flip and cook the other side. Wipe the inside of the mold to remove stuck batter, grease again, and place back on the skillet to repeat until all pancakes are cooked.

5. For free-handed heart pancakes, fill a squeeze bottle with the batter and draw the heart shape pancakes on the hot skillet. Follow the instructions above to cook on both sides and repeat process until all pancakes are cooked. Alternatively, use a tablespoon to spoon the batter onto the hot skillet in the shape of a heart.

6. Use a butter knife to trim pancake edges that ran outside the lines. Serve topped with butter, warm strawberry purée, and optional toppings if desired.