Happy Birthday, America!

My festive kitchen window.

Remember friendship bracelets? Well they are back! Rachel wanted to make some bracelets to sell (she wants to buy a bead kit and is trying to earn $) so we decided to buy some red/white/blue thread and make patriotic ones to sell for $0.25 to her cousins on Monday. My little entrepreneur. :)


I don't have any neato red/white/blue recipes but I do have an all-american favorite dessert recipe. Boston Cream Cupcakes. Look how cute they are!

They are easy to make regular or gluten free:
For regular cupcakes use a box of yellow cake mix. For gluten free cupcakes use a package of Pamela's brand classic vanilla cake mix.

MB's Boston Cream Cupcakes
Ingredients:
cake mix
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg (4-serving size) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip, divided
4 squares Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to instructions on cake mix. Prepare cake batter and bake in greased muffin tin as directed on package, makes about 20-24 cupcakes depending on mix. Do not overbake gluten free cupcakes-see how light mine are? Don't wait until they are 'golden'.
2. Cool 10 min. in pans then remove to wire racks; cool completely.
3. Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk for 2 min. Let stand 5 min. to thicken.
4. Meanwhile, using a serrated knife, cut cupcakes horizontally in half. Gently stir 1/2 cup of whipped topping into pudding. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. of pudding mixture onto bottom half of each cupcake; cover with top of cupcake.
5. Microwave remaining 1 cup whipped topping and the chocolate in a small bowl on high 1 1/2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended.
6. Frost each cupcake with about 1 1/2 tsp. of the chocolate. Refrigerate at least 15 min. before serving. Store leftover cupcakes in refrigerator.
Delicious!!


Happy 4th of July everyone!