But at home, you don’t have to spring for a kitchen gift. With something as inexpensive as a large, heart-shaped cookie cutter, you can make Valentine’s Day special for your family.

You can buy cookie cutters in any housewares store. But you might want to go out of your way for the fetching versions from Wilton, in pink and red colors. Wilton also has a nesting set in six different sizes.

Use the cookie cutter to cut out heart-shaped toast for breakfast (how about poached eggs on hearts?).

For lunch, use a smaller heart-shaped cutter to cut garlic toast croutons for a salad. For dinner, cut out veggies after you’ve cooked them (heart-shaped beets would be perfect, and boiled potatoes are easy).

What a cute cookie cutter! One of several pink and red heart cutters from Wilton.

Here’s a recipe for individual heart-shaped devil’s food cakes from chocolatier Michael Recchiuti.

If you want to bake heart-shaped shortbread cookies while you’re at it, you’ll have lots of takers. Use this shortbread recipe from pastry chef Larissa Raphael.

How cute are these ganache-filled penguins?
And more delicious than most chocolate.
Photo courtesy BurdickChocolate.com.

But if you have a discriminating child—or you’d like to cultivate one—take a look at our Valentine’s Day gifts for kids.

You’ll find the best:

• Heart-shaped cookies and brownies from Eleni’s Cookies
• Browniepops on a stick
• Chocolate peanut butter delights from Jer’s Handmade Chocolates
• Burdick Chocolate’s adorable chocolate mice and penguins (see photo)
• The Valentine’s Day version of black and white cookies

They’re pink and white, of course, and inscribed with love messages (Kiss Me, Be Mine).

Cookware, measuring spoons and tea strainers “with a heart” may be just what he or she would like from Cupid.

See all of our favorite “love”-ly kitchen gifts.

See more of our favorite Valentine’s Day gifts in every category.

Heart measuring spoons from Beehive
Kitchenware. Photo courtesy Beehive.

Come on, men: a pink cocktail is the theme
of the day. Photo courtesy Roseangel Tequila.

Start with these pink tequila cocktails, and check our Cocktails Section for more Valentine’s Day drinks.

There, you’ll find the Love Potion Martini, Right Kiss Gin Cocktail, rosy vodka cocktails and more pink cocktail recipes with gin.

If you want a sparkling wine with your Valentine’s Day chocolate—whether from Champagne or other parts of the globe—make sure it’s a sweet one. The label should say sec or demi sec.

A dry Champagne (the label says brut) doesn’t go with sweet foods.

And for a bargain, take a look at other bubblies outside of rosé Champagne.

For starters, head to Italy, to Martini (formerly Martini & Rossi). Martini’s Sparkling Rosé is sweet, fruity and a great pairing with chocolate.

From a company famous for its vermouth, this new sparkling rosé, introduced last year, is a winner among sweet sparkling wines. It’s made with Moscato Bianco, Malvasia and Brachetto grapes from Italy’s Piedmont and Veneto regions.

Light, crisp and aromatic with a pretty rosy hue, Sparkling Rosé has hints of citrus, elderflower and peach—tons of fruit on the palate and a lively effervescence.

Available in a 750 ml bottle and 187 ml 4-packs, it’s a bargain. The list price for the 750 ml bottle is $13.99, but we found it for as little as $11.49.

Another favorite of ours is Rosa Regale Sparkling Red from Banfi, which you can find for as little as $13.99.

You’ll enjoy them with your sweets as much as a Veuve Clicquot demo-sec for $59.99.

Learn about pairing wine and chocolate—and having a wine and chocolate tasting party.