Page 224 - Cupcakes

FORTUNE COOKIE CUPCAKES

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When Peg Lee of Houston’s Central Market found out I was writing a book on
cupcakes, she told me about one she used to make when her children were little.
She would write a fortune message on a strip of parchment paper, seal it in foil,
then tuck it into the cupcake batter. I could hardly wait to get back to my kitchen
to start testing Peg’s idea. It worked perfectly; the parchment paper fortunes
became hidden as the cupcakes baked up golden and glorious. Flavor these
cupcakes with almond, lemon, or orange.

MAKES 22 TO 24 CUPCAKES (2½ INCHES EACH)
PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTES

BAKING TIME: 20 TO 22 MINUTES

ASSEMBLY TIME: 5 MINUTES

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2½-inch size)

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1¼ cups milk

½ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract or ½ teaspoon lemon or orange extract
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven 1and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24
cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside. Measure a strip of parchment
that’s 12 inches long and 2 inches wide into ½-inch-long segments. Cut the strip
into 24 pieces (2 × ½ inch each). Write the fortunes on one side of each