Food is the way to the heart…so what better way to spend your Valentine’s Day than enjoying a romantic and flavoursome brunch?

Michele Cuccovillo, Co-Founder of bottomlessbrunch.com has you covered whether you’re looking to book a bottomless brunch or you’re in search of the best recipes to whip up at home, this V-day.

Heart-shaped pancakes

If sweet treats put a smile on your loved one’s face, then heart-shaped pancakes have to be on the menu for your romantic brunch. You can top your tasty stack with any ingredients you fancy, but if you’re wanting to give your pancakes that Valentine’s Day feel, then use fresh red fruit like strawberries and raspberries.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

135g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp caster sugar

130ml milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp melted butter (allowed to cool slightly)

Method

Gently sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a mixing bowl. In a separate jug, carefully whisk together the milk and egg and then whisk in the melted butter.

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and use a fork to beat the mixtures together until you create a smooth batter.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and melt a knob of butter around the pan. Place your heart-shaped cutter or stencil into the pan and add a ladle of batter into it.

Cook for around 1-2 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pancake, then remove your stencil swiftly and flip the pancake over to cook the other side.

Repeat until all the batter is used up and serve with drizzles of sauce and your favourite toppings.

Eggs florentine with smoked salmon

The brunch classic, eggs florentine with smoked salmon, is a great savoury option to treat your other half to. This tasty dish is not only full of flavour but its key ingredients salmon and spinach have the added benefit of being an aphrodisiac – perfect to set sparks flying this Valentine’s.

Serves: 2

Ingredients

450g spinach

110g unsalted butter

2 tsp lemon juice

4 tsp white wine vinegar

2 egg yolks

4 eggs

Pinch freshly ground nutmeg

2 white muffins, halved

100g smoked salmon

Method

Put your spinach into a large colander and place it over the sink. Pour boiling water over it to allow the spinach to wilt, then refresh it afterwards with cold water, before squeezing out any excess water.

Take a small handful of spinach and chop it up and set aside, using the rest of the spinach, place it into a saucepan with 10g of butter and put it to one side.

For the hollandaise, melt the remaining 100g of butter in a small pan. Then pour the lemon juice and 2 tsp vinegar into a small, heatproof bowl, before adding the egg yolks and whisking.

Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture thickens slightly. Gradually add in the melted butter in small amounts, whisking constantly until a glossy sauce forms. The sauce should be spoonable, if it’s too thick add in a tablespoon of water and whisk.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in 2 tsp of vinegar. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and one by one, crack the eggs into a cup and gently slide them into the water. Cook for 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Warm up the pan of wilted spinach and butter with a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg and toast the halved muffins.

Once toasted, top with the buttery spinach and smoked salmon, add an egg to each one and cover with the spinach hollandaise.

Red velvet waffles

Is there a better way to say ‘I love you,’ than with mouth-wateringly good waffles? This recipe gives you a reason to bring the delicious dessert favourite, red velvet, to your brunch and certainly makes a big red Valentine’s Day statement.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1/3 cup butter melted and cooled

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp red food colouring

Method

In a mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese and butter together using a hand mixer until smooth. Carefully add in the sugar, then the vanilla and milk. Beat until the glaze appears smooth and then set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa and salt and set aside. Then in another medium-sized bowl, create your buttermilk mixture by beating the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and vinegar together until smooth, and then stir in the red food colouring. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients in your large bowl and whisk until smooth.

Switch on your waffle iron and let it heat up, spray it with nonstick cooking spray and pour about 1 cup of the waffle batter onto the waffle grid.

Close the waffle iron and cook for about 3 minutes until the waffle is a deep red colour and crisp on the outside.

Repeat with the remaining waffle batter and serve each waffle drizzled with the cream cheese glaze.