It's Strawberry Season!

It was absolutely beautiful today! I don't remember the last time that I was able to spend some quality time outdoors when it has been so nice. For some reason, every time the weather has been nice, I am always stuck inside studying--normally in a room without windows or sunlight. A friend thought it would be a great idea to have a picnic in the park and have it be a potluck. I made my nopalitos salsa again, this time with less onions that were diced smaller and also a little sugar for the pico. It tasted amazing. I also did  Mascarpone Mini Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze courtesy of Giada. I wanted to do something with strawberries since they are so cheap right now. The cupcakes were so addicting, especially since they were bite-sized so you could just pop them in your mouth. I have tried this recipe before with regular sized cupcakes and I would not recommend it. Since the dough is somewhat dense from the mascarpone, larger cupcakes tend to cave in and fall flat. The smaller size are perfect for them not to be too heavy and to puff up nicely. The glaze was a little difficult. I used fresh strawberries rather than the frozen strawberries that the recipe called for. I had to thicken the glaze up with more powdered sugar, but then it didn't taste like strawberries anymore, so I added more strawberries. It was an endless cycle. So I ended up with a sweet strawberry soup rather than a glaze, but that still was delicious, it just didn't harden. These little guys can be a bit messy, but they are no doubt very addicting and super easy to make!

Mascarpone Mini Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze

• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 c. water
• 1/3 c. strawberries
• 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the mini muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, egg whites, and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients until combined and creamy. Add the water and cake mix and mix until smooth. Fill the mini cups to just below the rim and bake until puffed and golden, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly int he tin, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are baking, puree the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Pour in the strawberry puree and whisk until smooth. Top the cooled cupcakes with the strawberry glaze. Let the cupcakes sit for a few minutes for the glaze to firm up, then serve.