Yummy Strawberry Filling

I'm not a big sweets person, but I do like to make them for people and this recipe right here has been raved over, if I do say so myself. Typically {all the time} when I make cupcakes they come from a box and I use store bought icing but since that can be so boring I try to doctor it up a bit. Nicole and I have made ones with peanut butter filling, ganache icing, and fudge filling but with the warmer weather and fresh strawberries readily available I wanted to try a strawberry filling.

Ingredients:

1 cup water

3 tbsp cornstarch (I never have cornstarch on hand so you can substitute 2tbsp all-purpose flour for 1 tbsp cornstarch)

2 1/2 cup strawberries cut into small pieces

3/4 cup sugar

squeeze of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Add water to large saucepan over medium heat, add cornstarch (or flour) and whisk together

2.Add strawberries and sugar, mix. Add a squeeze of lemon juice.

3. Cook strawberry mixture over medium heat, continuously stirring for about 8 minutes or until mixture is pink.

4. Cool before using.

{The process......the last one is what your jelly should look like}

Granted, the filling doesn't look so pretty but it tastes yummy and will be hidden inside a cupcake! I like to cut a hole in the cupcakes add the filling and cover it back up. Once I've added the top back on the cupcake the frosting can hide any imperfections. Top with cut up strawberries and you're all set.

I promise they'll be a hit at any social gathering...but be careful if you're going anywhere in the heat as my pretty little cupcakes melted in the car this past Saturday. Strawberries slid off the icing and were everywhere! Thank goodness my co-worker is laid back and loves these so much (his request that I bring them for the bbq) that he just put the entire holder in the fridge until dessert time. They were still good even if they weren't as pretty as I had hoped.

Enjoy and let me know how they turn out when YOU try it.