Strawberry Daiquiri Mini Cupcakes

Strawberry Daiquiri Mini Cupcakes

1 white cake mix
1 egg
1 ½ c. strawberry daiquiri mix

Mix well. Spoon into nut cups placed on a cookie sheet and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until done, being careful to not over cook.

Strawberry Daiquiri Topping:

1 c. Spiff-E-Whip*
1 c. skim milk
½ c. strawberry daiquiri mix
1 T powdered sugar

Whip until it looks like whipped cream. Place in a plastic baggie with the corner cut off and squeeze onto the tops on cooled mini cupcakes. Sprinkle with red colored sugar. Keep refrigerated. The topping will firm in the fridge.

*I'm sure some of you are saying "What the heck is Spiff e Whip?".  It's a food storage product, basically like Dream Whip, but it comes in a can.  We love it!  I don't have to have Cool Whip in my freezer and although we usually like real whipped cream, there are times where you need something else.  The maker's website lists the can at $6.25, but I find it on sale at a local grocery store for $4.99 or even sometimes $3.99.  It's a nice food storage product because I actually use it.  I'm going to assume an envelope of Dream Whip would substitute just fine in this recipe... I know all grocery stores carry that on the pudding aisle.

 

A couple of things:  The conversation hearts get soggy and the sugar runs if you decorate them ahead of time, but they won't stick to the topping if you try to add them right before serving.  I'm not sure how to get around this unless you just wait to frost them until the day of serving.  

These came out perfectly happy at home, but the frosting wouldn't set up at the cooking class I taught. I wonder if it's because they had 2% milk and it's heavier? I don't know, but it was frustrating!

These freeze well, topping and all.  I kept a few out for the kids to eat, froze a bunch of cupcakes and then baked the rest of the batter in a square pan, topped it with the remaining topping and froze the whole pan.  Hooray for dessert already done.  I'm sure my future self with thank me at some time.

This is the first time I had baked in nut cups... which said "Gelatin Shot Cups" on the package!  What the ???

 

I placed them on a cookie sheet and sprayed them with cooking spray.  Filling them about 2/3s full seemed to do the trick, they overflow pretty easily if too full.  When something overflows in a muffin pan the pan keeps it together, with these it just runs over the side.

These came out very pretty and were a big hit with the kids!  Enjoy!