How to Make Heart Shaped Cupcakes

Valentine's Day rules the school when it comes to gifts from the heart, but being sweet and giving heartfelt gifts should be a year-round mantra. Here's an idea; pencil in time to bake heart-shaped cupcakes every once in a while. It'll brighten the recipient's day for sure AND will also get you whistling a happy tune--it's hard to be in a bad mood when you're making cupcakes--especially heart-shaped versions!

Things You'll Need

• Aprons
• Your favorite cupcake & frosting recipe
• Heart-shaped muffin tins or cupcake pans
• Sprinkles and other decor
• Monogrammed or colored boxes
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. Set aside enough time to enjoy the baking experience. Invite a friend over or invite the kids to help! Make it a tradition and wear personalized aprons and everything!

2. Cruise through websites to find cupcake recipes--look for Red Velvet, dark chocolate and spiced versions to vary your repertoires.

3. Rummage through cupboards in search of a heart-shaped muffin or cupcake pan. No luck? Find them at craft stores, kitchen stores, your mom's house--the usual haunts. Google keywords "heart cupcake pan" to search online.

4. Customize your baby cakes with colored baking cups; they come in a million designs including reusable silicone versions.

5. Oh the icing on top, the best part! Are you a whipped cream or butter cream fan or love them both? Experiment to find your favorite. Search through recipe data bases to find the sweet toppings or grab a book on the subject. My favorite is "Cupcakes" and is available online through Amazon.com and other booksellers, or through Williams-Sonoma stores.

6. 

   Present your beauties in monogrammed boxes or individual cupcake containers. Find the boxes at craft stores like Michaels. Or go classic and let the kids decorate simple pink boxes like the kind you get from your local bakery. Google keywords "individual cupcake containers" to find the one-cake holders, and keywords "pink bakery boxes" to find the boxes.

7. Here's a short cut--snag the special crown heart cupcake pan kit from Williams-Sonoma. It includes a heart- shape cupcake pan, sprinkles, Red Velvet cupcake mix and a box of 16 candy message toppers (they say stuff like "kiss me," "hug me," "forever"). It's only available online or via their catalog (see link below). They even carry the monogrammed boxes--perfect for one-stop shopping and to start your cupcake making supply collection. Remember this is going to be a new tradition--it has to start somewhere!

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to pair the cupcakes with another little somethin', intersperse chocolate love bugs in between the cupcakes, also available through Williams-Sonoma (see link below).

Resources

• Crown Heart Cupcake Pan
• Chocolate Love Bugs