Recipes

[Chi-town girl]

These whimsical cupcakes are packed with strawberries -- literally. Each has a juicy strawberry center covered with whipped topping and is finished with a super easy-to-make strawberry butterfly.

Ingredients

One 15.25-ounce box strawberry cake mix (plus required ingredients)

32 small strawberries with leaves 

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 

One .55-ounce piece green taffy, such as AirHeads® Watermelon

One 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, thawed 

Directions

Special equipment:

 a pastry bag fitted with a medium open star tip and a melon baller, spoon or paring knife

1. For the cupcakes: Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions to make 24 cupcakes. Bake and let cool 15 minutes in the pan on a rack, then transfer the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.
2. Hull and chop about 8 strawberries (for about 1 cup chopped). Stir together the chopped strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature, tossing a few times, until the strawberries are juicy, about 15 minutes. 
3. For the remaining 24 strawberries, put a strawberry stem-side down on a cutting board. Make 2 crisscross slices down and almost all the way through the strawberry, stopping just before the stem to keep the stem end intact. Gently pull the 4 sections apart to form a butterfly. Repeat with the remaining strawberries. 
4. Make the antennae by cutting 2 thin strips of green taffy, about 1 inch long and 1 millimeter wide each.  Roll the taffy strips between your hands to make ropes, and curl up one end of each rope slightly.  Repeat, making a pair of antennae for the remaining 23 butterflies. 
5. To assemble the cupcakes: Transfer the whipped topping to a pastry bag fitted with a medium open star tip. Core the cupcakes from their tops with a small melon baller, spoon or paring knife. Fill each with some macerated strawberries and pipe a swirl of whipped topping on top to cover. Decorate each cupcake with a strawberry butterfly. Tuck a pair of antennae into the whipped topping behind each strawberry butterfly with the curled ends up and facing outward.  

[ECBG]

Very pretty and spring like!

[Spacrazy]

Oh yayyy @Chi-town girl 

We're having a crawfish boil tomorrow and I've been in a clutch over dessert and "bloop" saw your yummy post.

Can't wait to make these and I know they will be loved by young and old.

Laissez les bon temps rouler 🎉🥳

[Chi-town girl]

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@Spacrazy wrote:

Oh yayyy @Chi-town girl 

We're having a crawfish boil tomorrow and I've been in a clutch over dessert and "bloop" saw your yummy post.

Can't wait to make these and I know they will be loved by young and old.

Laissez les bon temps rouler 🎉🥳

---

@Spacrazy - I hope your dinner and dessert is FABULOUS 🍓

[ValuSkr]

That's so clever and they sound delicious.  Thanks for posting!

[Hoovermom]

I want one @Chi-town girl !!!

[AuntG]

Mine would be an epic fail.🍓🍰

[meallen616]

@Chi-town girl,

Very pretty!

Thanks for posting,

[PINKdogWOOD]

Too pretty to eat -- well almost. 

[Chi-town girl]

Hi all - How clever is the idea for the strawberry butterflies 🍓🦋

I'm a great cook, average baker. This recipe isn't too complicated, so I'm going to try it. Either for Easter brunch or Mother's Day celebration.

I like doing themes for the specialty meals/events that I host. Thinking I will do a Strawberry theme for one of my upcoming events and the other will be Lemon and Lime

Anyone that makes this Strawberry recipe, please report your experience and suggestions. TY