Patriotic Cupcakes Recipe

hese red, white, and blue cupcakes are decorated for the 4th of July, but you'll want to serve them year-round. Make the best of fresh blueberries and cherries in a tasty muffin topped with cream cheese frosting, fresh blueberries, and red fruit leather. Let the kids have fun decorating the cupcakes. The fruit leather resembles the stripes on the American flag while the blueberries become the stars. Small blueberries are best for decorating.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 package French vanilla cake mix
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups (about) small fresh blueberries, divided use
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar or to taste
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 roll red-colored fruit snack or fruit leather

Preparation:

Soak dried cherries in hot water for 15 minutes to plump. Drain thoroughly, then dry with paper towels. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-size muffin tin with foil or paper muffin cups.

Combine cake mix with applesauce, eggs, and water, mixing on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase to medium speed and beat another 2 minutes. Fold in cherries.

Divide batter evenly into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Drop 5 blueberries on top of the batter for each cupcake. Do not mix or press the blueberries into the batter.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool to room temperature on wire racks before proceeding.

Beat cream cheese with confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Spread cream cheese frosting on tops of cooled cupcakes.

Using remaining blueberries, stud cupcakes with blueberries in rows (for stars) over the upper left quarter of the cupcake.

Cut the roll of fruit leather snack into strips 1/8 inch wide and 2 inches long. Place red fruit strips across the remainder of the cupcake surface in rows (for stripes) over frosting. Refrigerate to set frosting.

These are fun for the kids to decorate for 4th of July, Flag Day, or Memorial Day.

Yield: 24 cupcakes