Anytime there is a social gathering I have a role. And, even if I get to choose my role, I always always pick the same one.

Dessert Maker.

Yeah, I know, my title needs a little sprucing up. How do we feel about Baker Extraordinaire? Okay, okay, you’re right, a little too over the top. I’m open to ideas if you have any.

With my family and friends, it’s simply assumed that I will be making some sort of sweet. The question has become “what are you making for dessert?” rather than “are you making anything for dessert?” And, don’t get me wrong I’m totally fine with this, except for the few rare times when I don’t make dessert for some reason or another. Those are the times that I strongly dislike my title. Why you ask? Let me paint you a picture.

“What did you make for dessert?”

“Oh, I didn’t make anything.”

“Haahah. Good one. Seriously, I’m craving chocolate. I hope what you made has chocolate.”

“No, seriously, I didn’t make anything. I didn’t have any time.”

Smile instantly disappears. Serious face ensues. Eyes are looking watery (okay, this one may be a figment of my imagination).

“So, there’s no dessert?”

Have you ever had a child ask you if Santa or the Tooth Fairy is real? Because the face they make, the one that says I-heard-the-other-kids-say-they-weren’t-real-but-I-don’t-want-to-believe-them-tell-me-they-were-lying-please is the same exact face I see when I don’t make any dessert. How do I deal with it? I just promise to make something the next time that is a) extremely delicious and b) has large amounts of chocolate in it.

Now, back to me volunteering for this role. This past weekend at my work we put together a little baby shower for one of my coworkers. Her name is Mari and she is expecting her second child and her first baby boy.

Let me tell you a little bit about Mari. From the moment I started volunteering at the hospital she was beyond nice to me—always including me in conversations, inviting me to eat lunch with her, and overall helping me feel extremely welcome. Once I was hired, she was one of the people in charge of training me. I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher. She was extremely helpful, thorough in her explanations, and not only supportive, but also patient with me during the learning process. She is honestly one of the sweetest people I have ever met and this baby boy, along with her other children, are lucky to have her as their mother.

So, naturally, when I was asked what I wanted to be in charge of for the baby shower, I said dessert. I knew I wanted to do something special for her, and after looking around on Pinterest (don’t you just love Pinterest?), I settled on making baby boy cupcakes. And, I’m so so glad I did. Because, look at them, they are so freaking cute. Plus, she loved them, which really is the only thing that matters.

If I were to make these again, I would try to make them even cuter. Add some hair using black licorice vines. Possibly give him some blushing cheeks—mix a little pink food coloring with some of the frosting. Or, even, give him some freckles. These were super easy to make, a huge hit at the baby shower, and would be pretty easy to turn into a baby girl if necessary.

I mean, come on, look at these cuties. Don’t you want these at the next baby shower you go to?