Was it worth the mile?

I ran a whole mile today!  To some of you this may not sound like a big feat, but let me tell you – it was.  I am not a runner…at all. Some days I dream about being a great runner like my husband Thomn, or my friend Betsy, however my dream of being a runner is just that…a dream.

When I went to the gym today I planned on doing my usual combination of walking and using the elliptical machine before the weight machines, however, it was then when I got on the treadmill that I had an epiphany.  Maybe if I could run a whole mile I could have one of the delicious peanut butter and jelly cupcakes that I made last night.

So I ran a mile.

I listened to a little Tori Amos, a little Bruce Springsteen, a little Domestic Problems…but really I didn’t hear many of the words.  I just kept thinking of the cupcake.

Here is a picture of the cupcake so you can fully grasp what I was dreaming about.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Heaven!

These cupcakes are delicious so I figure I should pass the recipe onto all of you:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

1 package Yellow Cake mix (mine were gluten free so I used the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix)

1 8oz jar of For the Love of June’s Strawberry Lemonade Jam

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1 cup of creamy peanut butter (I love Skippy Natural) – remember if you are making this for a gluten free friend  you should use a fresh peanut butter jar that has not been contaminated by a knife that has previously touched bread or other gluten products

4 oz plain cream cheese – room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon Milk

Directions: 

Prepare Cake Mix as directed and bake into mini cupcakes

While these bake mix together mix the above ingredients for the frosting until completely smooth (peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk)

Allow cupcakes to cool

You will need some kind of gadget to squeeze the jelly into the center of the cupcakes.  I used a squeeze bottle that had a frosting decorating tip on the end – from Kuhn Rikon, the Cookie and Cupcake Decorating Set.

Fill up the squeeze bottle with the Strawberry Lemonade Jam and squeeze it into the center of the cupcake until you feel resistance back from the jam and it starts to come out of the top of the cupcake.

Spread frosting on top. Or you can use another one of the fancy tops from Kuhn Rikon like I did.

Eat and enjoy!

I found the best part about these cupcakes to be the combination of the frosting and the jam.  For the Love of June’s Strawberry Lemonade is slightly tart and the peanut butter frosting is not overly sweet – proving to be a combination that tastes as good as the infamous Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich itself.

I hope you think they are as fabulous as I did…well worth the mile run.  Until the next delicious treat…