Saturday, February 13, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!


I've had a cupcake recipe I've been waiting for the right occasion to make and this seemed like an appropriate holiday. They're from a "Cupcake-A-Day" calendar from 2009 and called "Strawberries n' Cream" Cupcakes.


The Recipe:

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 cup( 2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping
1 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups sliced strawberries(smaller berries are better)
4 tbsp. strawberry jell-o
2-4 tbsp. water

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Place 18 paper baking cups in muffin pans. Combine cupcake ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale (2-3 minutes).

Spoon better into cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cook in pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on racks.

For the topping whip cram, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in small bowl until soft peaks form. Spoon onto cupcakes and arrange sliced strawberries on top. In a small saucepan heat jell-o and water until melted. Brush mixture on top of strawberries. Chill until ready to serve.

Comments:
They reminded both of us of "personal pan sized" strawberry shortcakes. Easy to make, colorful and not too sweet. They were a good choice for a Valentine's treat.