Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcake Recipe

It's that time of year again, and it has crept up on me and almost caught me unaware...or should I say unprepared. I think I blinked and just about missed our lovely six week holiday! It went way too fast.

Time now to refocus, stock up on new pencils and paper, clear the white board, reorganise the bookwork shelves, write up endless lists, timetables and schedules, raid our family library and hit the books. 

The school year has begun! (eek!)

We are a little late getting started this year....a  benefit of homeschooling. Our school life fits into our real life and is fluid when it needs to be. 

We have welcomed home our two missionary travellers and heard a few tales from their different adventures overseas. It has taken time for them both to adjust back into family life, but they have been enriched by their experiences of serving others and being a part of something bigger than themselves.

The rest of us had a lovely and busy holiday, with many visitors, as usual. Mama Bear's kitchen certainly gets a workout over the summer.....lots of opportunities to try out new cupcake recipes!!

With that in mind, I am here to say 'hooray!  let's kick off the school year with a childhood favourite, Peanut butter and jelly cupcakes. While us Aussies call 'jelly' jam and and 'jello' jelly, let us not get confused and state plainly that these cupcakes have a rich peanut butter and raspberry jam frosting on top of a vanilla cupcake with a dollop of jam hidden inside.

YUMO!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 180C

Line two muffin tray with papers

Makes 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

1 cup warm water

2 cups plain flour, sifted

1 3/4 cups castor sugar

1 teaspoon bi carb soda

1 teaspoon baking soda

Raspberry jam

Method

1. Using a hand whisk, combine eggs, oil, vanilla, sour cream and water. 

2. Sift together flour, castor sugar, soda and baking powder.

3. Carefully pour wet mixture into dry mix and whisk together until well combined.

4. Scoop mixture into muffin trays, until each case is about 2/3 full. 

5. Carefully drop a good teaspoon of raspberry jam onto the top of each cupcake. It will sink to the bottom during baking.

6. Bake in oven for 18 - 20 minutes or until firm to touch.

   Cool on wire wrack.

Peanut Butter Frosting

125g butter at room temp

125g cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

Approx 1-2 cups Icing mixture

Dashings of pure cream

raspberry jam

1. In an electric mixer on medium speed, blend together butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. This may take about 3 minutes. 

2. Add vanilla extract and peanut butter, mix together on low speed. 

3.Slowly add sifted icing mixture, a little at a time. Add as much as you want, checking the consistency and taste. Add cream if it is getting too stiff. 

4. Spread a 'stripe' of raspberry jam inside the icing bag using a butter knife. Add the peanut butter frosting and pipe onto cold cupcakes using a large open tip. 

 

Enjoy! 

XXX