Baking with Love this Valentine’s Day

2-1-2012

Valentine’s Day is almost here, which means gift giving, engagements, class parties, and celebrations! For many people– that means cupcakes and cookies.

JOIN THE CUPCAKE CRAZE

The choices for cupcake decorating for Valentine’s Day are practically limitless – and can range from simple and silly to extravagant and complex. While some people call cupcakes a “fad,” studies show that the cupcake craze is only getting crazier in the U.S.

According to the market research firm Mintel, in 2009 nationwide cupcake sales were projected to rise 20 percent over the next five years at a time when other baked goods were expected to grow in the single digits. Cupcakes are big business. In fact, Crumbs Bake Shop, the largest cupcake chain in the U.S., recently went public through a $66M merger and is now traded on the NASDAQ.

So how can you make your Valentine’s cupcakes special?

Rolled Fondant and Edible Cupcake Toppers

Cut ready-to-roll fondant (or candy clay) into hearts, flowers, or letters – try Xs and Os or spell out “I LOVE YOU” – to top your cupcakes. Secure your fondant shapes with buttercream or chocolate ganache which adheres the fondant to the cupcakes.

You can also purchase edible sugar cupcake toppers—in just about every shape imaginable – to save the step of rolling and cutting your own fondant.

Sprinkles, Confetti and Glitter

Never before have sprinkles been available in so many shapes, colors and sizes. Valentine’s Day is a great time to shake on pink and red heart-shaped sprinkles, X and O sprinkles, metallic confetti sprinkles, pearlized jimmies, red, pink and white nonpareils, or edible glitter. They are quick and easy to use, and add a pop of color and style to your sweet treats.

Valentine’s Cupcake Picks and Rings

Make class parties more fun and memorable with Valentine’s picks and rings atop your cupcakes. They are available in thousands of designs – with both licensed characters and simple Valentine’s designs, including hearts, lips, conversation hearts, “I love you” messages and many more.

Size Matters

Super-size cupcakes are hot right now – six-inch tall cupcakes designed to feed six to eight people – and can lend themselves to some fun and unique decorating options. What about covering your cupcake in a chocolate glaze and letting it drip down the sides for a romantic flair? A gigantic cupcake leaves lots of room to write a loving message on the top (or perhaps gives your customers a place to propose marriage)!

CREATIVE COOKIES

Stylish Stencils

Cookie stencils are inexpensive, easy to use, and give your cookies an artistic flair. They come in styles for every occasion, including Valentine symbols such as hearts, roses, cupids, and lace, and can dress up frosted or unfrosted cookies.

Using a very thin layer of frosting on a small spatula, cover the stencil entirely with frosting and gently lift the stencil off of the cookie to reveal the stencil pattern. You can achieve a blended effect by using two colors (try white and red) on one spatula. Allow your stenciled frosting designs to dry completely.

You can also place the stencil on your unbaked cookies and sprinkle them with cocoa, granulated sugar, spices or ground nuts to achieve a more natural effect. Gently lift the stencil off of the cookie and bake.

Colored Dough

Valentine’s Day is a great time to try out colored dough. Using red or pink paste food coloring and dividing your dough, you can create multi-colored cookies and shapes that please the palate and the eye.

Chocolate Marbling

Chocolate marbling looks elegant, adds extra flavor to cookies, but is actually easy to achieve. Using various colors of melted chocolate (white, pink, dark, etc.) cover a baked cookie with one type of chocolate then use the other color to make markings (i.e. dots) on the chocolate base while it's still wet. Gently drag a knife or toothpick across the markings to create a marbled design and let it dry.

Valentine’s Shapes

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time of year to break out your cookie cutters and create festive cookie designs. Try designs such as hearts, wedding cakes, cupids, roses, X and Os, wedding bells, and other messages of love.

However you choose to decorate your sweet treats this Valentine’s Day, remember two things:

• Be creative with your decorating
• Go back to the baking basics for delicious, quality treats