Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

This weeks theme was grape. Grape! There are only like 4 recipes that include grape. However, I found a loophole…grape jelly. These are peanut butter and jelly cupcakes (grape jelly of course). I’ll admit I made myself sick testing the batter and the frosting and really couldn’t enjoy the cupcakes as much as I wanted to once they were done. I think if I used the peanut butter cupcake recipe with maybe chocolate frosting or ganache it would make for a perfect cupcake. I got the peanut butter cupcake recipe and the peanut butter frosting recipe from Martha Stewart. I substituted grape jelly for strawberry jelly to fit the theme. I also put the jelly inside the cupcake as opposed to putting it on top of the cupcake like she did.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Peanut Butter Frosting
• Strawberry jam, for topping

Directions

1. Make cupcakes as directed in Basic Cupcake How-To, adding peanut butter before adding eggs. Use sour cream and vanilla as wet ingredients. Once cupcakes are cool, frost tops with peanut butter frosting. Place a dollop of jam in center of frosting. Decorated cupcakes will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.

   Peanut butter frosting

   Ingredients

   • 6 ounces cream cheese
   • 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
   • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
   • 1/2 cup heavy cream

   Directions

   1. Beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar with a mixer on medium speed. Add salt, then peanut butter, then vanilla. Whisk cream until soft peaks form, and then fold into peanut butter mixture. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)