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Allowing children into the kitchen is one way of spending time together in a cozy and relaxed atmosphere. It is also a chance for you to begin teaching your children how to cook.

Together you can make some creations that will wow the family. With all the wonderful things you can bake on Valentine’s Day this is a great time to teach your children their way around the kitchen. Cupcakes are easy to make and fun to decorate plus they are great to eat.

What You’ll Need

* Box cake mix
* Valentine muffin cups
* Muffin tins
* White icing
* Red food coloring
* Red, pink and white sprinkles
* Red-hot candy
* Conversation heart candy
* Decorating gel

Directions

Using the direction on the cake mix help your children mix together the cupcake batter. Show them where the utensils they will need are stored and where all the items used in the batter can be found. They let them mix to their hearts content.

Once the batter is ready have them place the muffin cups in each cup of the muffin tin. Pouring the batter into the cups can be tricky for someone who has never done this before. Try using a measuring cup to help with this task. Remember to only fill the cups up about two-thirds full. Then bake the cupcakes as directed on the box. Be sure the cupcakes cool well before icing and decorating.

Separate the icing into three bowls. Show the kids how to add just a few drops of red food coloring to one bowl for pink icing. More drops will be needed in the second bowl for red icing. Once they have their tinted icing they can use a butter knife to ice the cupcakes.

Now that the cupcakes have been iced let them decorate. Using the different candies can make very pretty cupcakes. Decorator gels can be used to place sayings on each cupcake also. Top each cupcake off with a few Valentine sprinkles and you have a masterpiece.

It will be fun working in the kitchen with your children. Teaching them the basics and helping them create their own foods is what it’s all about. Giving them the space to make something special for the people in their lives for Valentine’s Day is something they will treasure for a lifetime.

Submitted by Easter Fun for Kids