A simple cupcake becomes an Easter treat with three simple changes:

1. Use colored cupcake wrappers (shown here, Reynolds Baking Cups).
2. Make pastel-colored frosting in the shape of a “nest.”
3. Place 3 jelly beans in the nest.

• Find additional Easter cupcake ideas from Reynolds Kitchens at CupcakeCentral.com.
• See the history of cupcakes.
• Find more cupcake and cake recipes in our Cakes Section.

Don’t wait until Easter Sunday: Your friends
and family want these cupcakes now.
Photo courtesy Reynolds Kitchens.

Hint flavored water makes a colorful,
calorie-free Easter gift. Photo courtesy
DrinkHint.com.

Just refill the bottle with tap water. You’ll get a second infusion of the flavors still clinging to the inside of the bottle! Some brands even provide a third, milder infusion of flavor.

Then, refill the bottle to carry your regular supply water to give the plastic bottle as much of a life on earth as possible, before it gets recycled.

By the way, sugar-free flavored water is a nice Easter gift idea for friends and family who are on strict diets. Put the bottles in a basket, and be sure to include Hint water, which often gives that third infusion.

Hint water comes in “spring flavors” such as Blackberry, Honeydew Hibiscus, Mango Grapefruit and Raspberry Lime—a total of 10 choices. For a dieter or a healthy eater, they’ll be more appreciated than a bag of colorful jelly beans.

The waters will also be a hit at the Easter dinner table.

Until April 1, you can order artisanal, hand-dipped orange or coconut truffles. Dean’s Sweets truffles are made in small batches without any preservatives. There are no nuts or nut derivatives in any of Dean’s Sweets.

To get your “Passover truffles,” call 1.207.899.3664 (Eastern Time: 11 to 6 Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 to 7 Friday and Saturday, 11 to 4 Sunday, or leave a voicemail). The price is $17.50 for 8 pieces, $27.50 for 16 pieces; any combination of flavors.

See the truffles online at DeansSweets.com.

If you have favorite Passover chocolates, please let us know.

Bring them to a seder or enjoy them
at home. Photo courtesy DeansSweets.com.

These cookies are like potato chips—we bet
you can’t eat just one! Photo by
Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

And believe us—you won’t want to wait that long. That’s why we’re giving away not just a few boxes, but five entire cases of Tim Tam Cookies in this week’s Gourmet Giveaway. Each case contains 24 packages of cookies that are the best non-artisan cookies (i.e., mass-produced) that we’ve ever tasted. And we’ve tasted a lot. (Read our review of Tim Tam Cookies.)

If you like Kit Kat and Twix bars, these cookies are bigger, plumper, more sumptuous versions. Crisp chocolate cookie layers are filled with chocolate crème or richer caramel, then enrobed in even richer chocolate. WARNING if you’re the winner: Once you start eating them, you can’t stop.

• THE PRIZE: Five winners will receive 24 packages of Tim Tam Cookies. It may sound like a lot, but once you open one, they’ll be gone before you know it. If you limit yourself to eating just two packages a week, they’ll last for three months. But we haven’t yet come across anyone with that amount of willpower. Better yet, have a tea party and invite friends. (Read all about having a tea party.) Approximate Retail Value: $81.00.

• To Enter This Gourmet Giveaway: Go to the box at the bottom of our Gourmet Easter Cookies, Chocolate & More Section and enter your email address for the prize drawing. This contest closes on Monday, March 29th at noon, Eastern Time. Good luck!
• To learn more about Tim Tam Cookies, visit ILoveTimTamCookies.com. 

If you like the combination of sweet (chocolate) and tart (cherries), this may be your new favorite version of Raisinets.

The bag sports several health claims:

• 30% less fat than the leading chocolate brands
• 1/2 serving of real fruit in every 1/4 cup*
• A natural source of fruit and dark chocolate antioxidants, which help maintain good health

*One-fourth cup of dried fruit counts as 1 serving of fruit. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend eating 4 servings of fruit every day, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. However, they didn’t mean 4 servings of chocolate-covered fruit.

To quote Michael Pollan,† “If you’re concerned about your health, you should probably avoid products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a strong indication it’s not really food….”

†In Defense Of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.

For those who like a sweet-and-tart snack.
Photo by Jerry Deutsch | THE NIBBLE.