Most years, Valentine's Day coincides with the Chinese New Year season. So, for a special treat that celebrates both holidays, top your cupcakes with these pink fortune cookies. If you've only had fortune cookies from restaurants, you'll know that they are usually rather dry and tasteless. These pink fortune cookies, which are surprisingly easy to make, taste way better. They look so festive and romantic sitting on top of a pink cupcake.

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Things You\’ll Need

• 3 egg whites, room temperature

• 3/4 cup sugar

• Whisk

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• Pinch of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

• 2 tablespoons water

• Red gel food coloring

• Parchment paper

• Silicone baking mat

• Tablespoon scoop

• Spatula

• Mug or glass

• Muffin tin

• Red candy melts

• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (optional)

• Pink, red and white sprinkles

• Paper fortunes

• Cupcakes

• Frosting

Step 1: Mix the Batter

Whisk the egg whites with the sugar until well combined.

Melt the butter in a microwave at 20-second intervals. Whisk the butter with the egg whites and sugar.

Add the flour, a pinch of salt, the vanilla and almond extracts and the water.

Whisk the batter until it has a smooth consistency.

Step 2: Dye the Batter

To dye the batter pink, add a small drop of red gel food dye or icing color. A little goes a long way, so start with just that one little drop. You can always add more if the color is not deep enough for you.

Stir the batter until the batter has a consistent pink tone. Add a little more dye if necessary.

Step 3: Prepare the Baking Sheet

On a piece of parchment paper, trace three circles of about 3 1/2 inches spaced evenly apart. I used the cap of a store-bought frosting container.

Place the parchment paper with the circles underneath a silicone baking mat. The circles show through the mat and will help guide you as you spread the cookie batter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 4: Spread the Batter

Using a tablespoon, scoop up some of the cookie batter.

Pour the batter into one of the circles on the baking mat. Some of the batter will remain stuck in the spoon, and that's OK because you'll only need about 2/3 tablespoon.

Spread the batter with a spoon until it extends to the circumference of the circle.

Don't worry if the batter is lumpy at this point. It will even out in the oven, and the cookie will be flat.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. We are only baking three cookies at a time for a reason. Once they are out of the oven, you only have a limited amount of time to shape the circle into a fortune cookie before the cookie hardens.

Step 5: Shape the Fortune Cookies

Once they're removed from the oven, allow the cookies to cool for 1 minute.

Lift one edge of a cookie with a spatula and fold it over so the cookie looks like a taco shell.

Position the center of the folded side of the cookie over the rim of a mug or glass. Fold down the corners to create the fortune cookie shape.

Place the fortune cookie in a muffin tin so that it holds its shape as it cools.

Step 6: Decorate the Fortune Cookies

The pink fortune cookies are perfectly fine as is, but let's decorate them to make them even more irresistible. Start by warming some red candy melts in the microwave at 40-second intervals until they are completely melted. Add a tablespoon of vegetable shortening as you melt the candy if the consistency is too thick. You want it to be able to coat a spoon.

Dip half the fortune cookie in the candy melts and place the cookie on a piece of parchment paper to catch the drippings.

Apply some sprinkles to the melted candy side before it hardens.

Step 7: Create the Fortunes

Type some fortunes and print them on a piece of paper.

Cut the fortunes to size. I made them 2.2 inches long by 0.5 inches high.

Slide the fortunes into the openings of the fortune cookies. I recommend inserting the fortunes at this point rather than when initially folding the cookie so they are not damaged when decorating with the candy melts.

Step 8: Assemble the Cupcakes

Bake cupcakes of your choice. I decided to go all pink and selected strawberry cupcakes from a box mix.

Spread the frosting of your choice on the cupcakes. Again, I went all pink and used store-bought strawberry frosting. Although I used a piping tip and bag to create a rosette shape with the frosting, it's fine to just spread a flat layer with a spatula. Most of the frosting will be covered by the fortune cookie anyway.

Apply more sprinkles to the frosting. You may wonder, "Sprinkles on the fortune cookie AND sprinkles on the frosting?" Absolutely!

Finally, it's the moment we've all been waiting for. Place the fortune cookie on top of the cupcake. A new Valentine's cupcake champion has been crowned.

Pancake mix is one of those modern conveniences that home chefs 100 years ago probably would have considered a miracle. When our great-grandparents wanted flapjacks, they didn't have the luxury of grabbing pre-measured dry ingredients. Today, pancake mix is good for a lot more than just making pancakes. From county-fair favorites to elegant French desserts, using pancake mix can help you cut corners without sacrificing flavor in any number of tasty recipes.

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1. Corn Dogs

What are you to do when you're craving fair food… but the fair isn't in town? Make your own versions at home, of course. Creating your own corn dogs is as simple as dipping skewered hot dogs in batter and deep frying them in oil. Using pancake mix to create your batter makes it even easier to recreate this summertime classic.

2. Pizza Dough

Like cinnamon rolls, pizza crust is commonly made with a yeast dough. That won't work when you're trying to get something in the oven quickly. So the next time you need a last-minute crowd pleaser for dinner, try making personal pizzas with pancake mix dough. This kind of dough is perfectly suited for making breakfast pizzas.

3. Crepes

Ooh, la la! Crepes in your kitchen? Oui, c'est possible! Whipping up batter using pancake mix is the easy part. Thinning the batter to the perfect consistency and mastering the art of the flip may take practice to perfect. Luckily, you'll enjoy eating your mistakes.

4. Dumplings

A big batch of chicken and dumplings is comfort in a bowl. There can be a lot of work involved in creating this cold-weather staple. Cut corners by making your dumpling dough with pancake mix. No one will detect the subtle pancake flavor once these dumplings have been combined with tender vegetables, savory broth and juicy chicken.

5. Muffins

Muffin mix and pancake mix are very similar in terms of ingredients, so it's no surprise that using pancake mix will yield a delicious batch of muffins. All it takes is adding milk, egg and some sweetener to the dry mix. Use maple syrup instead of sugar to highlight that familiar pancake flavor.

6. Cinnamon Rolls

Can't decide between pancakes and cinnamon rolls for breakfast? Combine the two. Making cinnamon rolls from pancake mix won't create the dense, yeasty texture you get from traditional cinnamon rolls. But a dough made from pancake mix will still perfectly complement your gooey cinnamon filling and sugary glaze, so this is a great shortcut if you don't have time to make yeast rolls.

7. Clafoutis

If you've never had clafoutis before, you might be surprised at how surprisingly simple it is to make. It's a classic French dessert that looks both rustic and elegant when prepared properly. Made of fruit (traditionally cherries) baked in batter, clafoutis can be prepared within minutes when you use pancake mix for the base of the batter. Sure, it's not the traditional French way, but it sure is easy.

8. Scones

Know what's great about scones? Well, a lot; they're a beloved breakfast staple for good reason. But one of the best things about scones is that they can be doctored with sweet or savory add-ins. Make a batch with pancake mix and stir in grated cheese and bacon, or whatever fruit you have on hand.

9. Corn Fritters

Okay, you've figured out your main course for dinner, but what's going to go on the side? Corn fritters are always a crowd pleaser. When made with canned or frozen corn and pancake mix, these savory little fritters can be whipped up in under 10 minutes. Enjoy them hot out of the pan.

10. Mug Cake

Sometimes, you really just need cake. In those emergency must-have-cake moments, grab a big mug and a box of pancake mix. Use the mix as the basis for a single-serving mug cake. With this hack, cake doesn't have to be served as dessert; make a breakfast mug cake and drizzle with syrup.

It is easy to make pink food coloring. Image Credit: Thalia Ho

When pink's her favorite color, frosting her birthday cake with any other color simply won't do. The box of food coloring that you pick up at your local grocery store will probably only include four colors (red, yellow, green and blue), so you're going to have to get creative. There are a few ways to fake pink food coloring in your own kitchen.

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Making Pink With Food Coloring

The easiest way to create the appearance that you've used pink food coloring is to add just a drop or two of red coloring to whatever you're making. Fully combine the color and then add just one drop at a time until you've achieved the look you want. For even more control over how much color you add, squeeze the food coloring onto a plate and use a toothpick to swirl in just a tiny bit at a time.

Because adding too much food coloring will end up turning the final product red, this method is best used with things that are light in color, such as buttercream frosting, milk, sugar cookies or pancakes. With foods that are darker in color, the tint may not be noticeable unless you add enough coloring to turn them red. Also, keep in mind that baked goods tinted with food coloring may not come out with the shade you expected. Light-pink batter may have a subtle pink-brown tint by the time it comes out of the oven.

If you're set on using commercially made food coloring, another option is to search online for pink food coloring. Some companies do sell food-safe color that's formulated to look pink.

Fruits, Veggies and Pink Food Coloring

There are a bunch of benefits to using fruits and vegetables as a natural pink food coloring. For one, this method is certainly preferable for people who are allergic to food dyes, though these allergies are quite rare.

If you're focused on eating clean and using whole ingredients in everything you make, using natural food coloring is a better choice than the store-bought type. Using fruits and veggies to color your food adds sweetness, flavor and maybe even some fiber and nutrients that you just won't get from commercial food coloring.

Making Pink With Beets or Berries

Beets are an ideal source of natural pink food coloring. Using canned beets makes this super simple. In a blender, puree a small amount of the beets with some of their liquid and use the puree to add flavor and pink color to foods. To use fresh beets, cover them with water and simmer them in a saucepan until the beets are tender and the liquid has turned red. Use this liquid as your food coloring.

Pink and red berries can also be used as a source of natural pink food coloring. Freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries are perfect for this purpose. Toss some of these dried berries in a blender or food processor to turn them into powder. Add the powder directly to whatever you're making, or if you're making something smooth and don't want any grainy texture, dissolve the powdered fruit in water before mixing it in.

Note that natural food coloring isn't the best choice for art projects and things that will be displayed. Insects may be attracted to things made with fruits or vegetables.