By: Brenda J. Ponichtera, R.D.
I am super excited to bring you this guest post from award-winning cookbook author, Brenda Ponichtera, R.D! Have fun making this with your little darlings. ~Kelli
Butterfly Cupcakes
My mother used to make these butterfly cupcakes for school parties when I was a child. They are so special because each cupcake looks like it has a butterfly sitting on its top. This is a perfect project for children, however, do the cutting for them. They can easily mix the filling and do the other steps. For variety you can vary the filling. Lemon pie filling also works well.
- 1 small box (1 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups fat-free milk
- 1 dozen cupcakes, yellow or white
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free preserves (raspberry or strawberry)
- powdered sugar (optional)
Make pudding according to package directions, using fat-free milk. Let set in refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Follow the diagrams below that match the following steps to make the butterfly cupcakes:
- Cut a cone shape from the top of each cupcake, according to diagram
- Set the cone aside but don’t eat it!
- Fill the cavity of each butterfly cupcakes with 1 tablespoon of pudding.
- Cut cones in half to make wings.
- Place two halves, flat side down, on each cupcake to represent butterfly wings.
Place 1/2 teaspoon of preserves in the center to resemble the body. Dust with powdered sugar (optional).
VARIATION: Chocolate Butterfly Cupcakes—Substitute chocolate cupcakes and fill with fat-free whipped topping.
Makes 12 servings
- (plus extra pudding)
Each Serving
- 1 cupcake
Carb Servings
- 1 1/2
Exchanges
- 1 1/2 carbohydrate
- 1/2 fat
Nutrient Analysis
- calories 140
- total fat 4g
- saturated fat 1g
- cholesterol 11mg
- sodium 273mg
- total carbohydrate 23g
- dietary fiber 1g
- sugars 3g
- protein 3g
Source: Quick & Healthy Recipes and Ideas, 3rd Edition, © 2008 Brenda J. Ponichtera, R.D. (http://www.quickandhealthy.net/ ), Published by Small Steps Press, publishing health conscious books for the general public, an imprint of the American Diabetes Association.
Photography Credit: Photo by Jim Semlor
About me: Brenda J. Ponichtera is a registered dietitian and award-winning author with extensive experience in nutrition and diabetes counseling. An editorial advisor for Today’s Diet and Nutrition, she is also active member of the American Dietetic Association and the American Diabetes Association. Her cookbooks (Quick & Healthy Recipes and Ideas AND Quick & Healthy Volume II (http://www.quickandhealthy.net/)
— both Benjamin Franklin Award winners — are designed to prove that healthful eating doesn’t have to take a lot of time in the kitchen. Her books have been recommended in publications such as “O” The Oprah Magazine, Cooking Light, Miami Herald, Shape magazine, and USA Today, as well as by health care professionals, and busy cooks across the country. Ponichtera has sold over 700,000 copies of her Quick & Healthy cookbooks.
Granny Smith, Fuji, McIntosh, Red Delicious— these are just a few of the apples we’ll be sampling this September. 
Procedure: 1. Arrange the lids face-up across the bottom of the box. Glue down with craft glue and let dry (done by an adult). 
Also note, my fees are VERY reasonable because I want small Mom Businesses to be able to afford them, also. Don’t like that? Contact me anyway, I do reviews free-of-charge!*
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