It's Raining Cupcakes Cook and Book Idea

by Katie Halliday
(Yellville, Arkansas)

Theme Reading Book

Inspired by the book: “It’s Raining Cupcakes”, by Lisa Schroeder
Ingredients:
2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
3 and ½ tsp of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 and ½ cups milk
¼ cup olive oil
1 stick of butter, softened
1 Tbs vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup jelly beans

Line muffin pan with cupcake papers, or grease the muffin cups with Crisco. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a mixing bowl, combine: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the milk and oil, stirring well after each. Add butter and vanilla. Beat mixture on high for two minutes.
Add the eggs and continue beating for an additional minute. Add jelly beans and stir with a large spoon. Spoon batter into cupcake papers or pan.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes back out clean. (for one dozen cupcakes)
Cool for 15 minutes and ice.

Icing:
3 Semisweet baking chocolate squares
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk
½ cup peanut butter
Combine: chocolate squares, butter, milk, and peanut butter in a large microwaveable bowl on high for 60 seconds.

Remove bowl from microwave (carefully-it may be hot!). Blend ingredients and add: powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat for one minute, so the mixture thickens nicely.