Cooking for Mother's Day: Make her cupcakes

Think of cupcakes as edible Mother's Day cards. And no matter the skill level of the baker (or the baker's "assistant"), there's a technique that will fill the bill, from using cake mix with canned frosting to baking from scratch and crafting elaborately decorated tops. Here are some ideas for cooking up a memorable day for Mom.

Milk chocolate frosting

Yield: Enough for 12 regular cupcakes

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

10 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, broken into small pieces

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Combine cream and butter in a saucepan; place over very low heat. Stir constantly until butter melts completely. (Do not let it come to a boil, or it will burn.) Remove from the heat; add chocolate. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes.

2. Add vanilla and whisk until smooth.

3. Let frosting stand at room temperature until it is cool and thick enough to spread on cupcakes.

Per serving (based on 12): 180 calories; 12g fat; 7g saturated fat; 20mg cholesterol; 2g protein; 15g carbohydrate; 13g sugar; no fiber; 45mg sodium; 40mg calcium.

Adapted from "Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery," by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas (Kyle Books, 2009)

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Chocolate cupcakes

Yield: 18 to 22 cupcakes

3 large eggs, divided

1 1/4 cups milk, divided

1 cup packed brown sugar

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

Gifts for Mom

Gift books for gardeners

Last-minute shoppers, this is for you: recommended books for the mom who loves to garden (or might want to use her floral bounty for modern DIY flower arrangements). As you'll see, these authors might provide just the right gift ideas. Pair a book with a spring bouquet? Or perhaps with a botanically accented cocktail? Read on ...

What we're spending on mom

While traditional gifts such as flowers, sweaters and gift cards are usually popular, many you will splurge this year and treat mom to that tablet, smartphone or sparkly necklace she's been eyeing since Christmas.

Here's a rundown on what we plan to shell out for mom. For the complete annual survey, see NationalRetailFederation.com.

Spring-inspired Mother's Day gift ideas

Destiny Gdalman / Chicago Shopping

3:31 p.m. CDT, April 1, 2013

Sometimes Mother's Day and spring seem to go hand-in-hand. What other time of year can we celebrate the bright, warm days ahead while honoring the bright, warm spots we hold in our hearts for the women who've made it their mission to show us nothing but unconditional love, our mothers. And like love, gifts for moms can come in many shapes and sizes. We've pinned a few of our favorites from around the web that send out glowing vibes of sunny days yet to come.