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Planning Ahead for Valentine’s Day? Put This Recipe on Your To-Do List

December can be tough on relationships, dating experts say. With all the pressure and hard-to-live-up-to memories of past holidays, some two-somes just don’t make it to the new year intact. That fact, combined with New Year’s resolutions, and people who looked longingly at couples on New Year’s Eve, make January a big month to sign up with, or sign back onto dating sites, experts say. Business Insider reports; “the period from Christmas to Valentine’s Day is the hottest time for people to sign up for dating sites...”

For those ever-hopefuls signing on to those sites, and the ever-faithfuls already in a great relationship, now is the time to start thinking about Valentine’s Day. This holiday right can be challenging, even for the most romantically inclined. You don’t want to overdo it, making yourself look desperate (in a new relationship) or like you did something wrong you are trying to make up for (in an established relationship). Sometimes the best gift is something sweet made by hand. Here’s an idea from Shore Publishing’s Kara Pierson, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and handmade candy roses. The handmade roses elevate this from the ordinary to the extraordinary. She says “it’s harder than it looks and my hands were stained red for a week BUT it was totally worth it.”

Google “How to Make Roses Out of Jolly Ranchers Candy” for instructions on taking these cupcakes to the next level. You have several weeks until the big day, and plenty of time to practice and make mistakes until you get it just right.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from a recipe from McCormick’s

Makes 30 (1 cupcake) servings.

Cupcakes:

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

½ cup milk

1 bottle (1 ounce) red food color

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

¼ cup (½ stick) butter, softened

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 box (16 ounces) confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. For the cupcakes, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.

For the frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes.