Take that, Magnolia Bakery.

Anyone with a kid over about 18 months knows that cupcakes are essentially crack for children. I could get my daughters to clean every room in the house with a toothbrush if they knew there were a cupcake in it for them at some point. (And, ahem, so would their mother). So when I saw that Chronicle Books came out with the Cupcake Kit recently, I jumped at a chance to check it out.

Elinor Klivans has put together a fantastic little gift set here that any cupcake lover would be delighted to drool over. Er, own. It includes a recipe book with 14 cupcake recipes -- from basic batter to seasonal designs for Halloween or Christmas -- and my only complaint is that it should be longer. You'll also get 250 really beautiful little cup liners, plus a pastry bag with tips so you can go wacky with the frosting.

The only thing that's not included is the pan. And the weight loss program. -Liz

Find The Cupcake Kit: Recipes, Liners and Decorating Tools for Making the Cutest Cupcakes! by Elinor Livans at our affiliate Amazon or at Chronicle Books where now, for a limited time, you can order the Cupcake Kit and the Cupcake Deck (featuring 25 recipes) and get the Cupcake Journal for free with promo code CUPCAKES at checkout.