SHORTCUT Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes

I haven't made cupcakes in months . . . no big deal right?  WRONG!  I'm a compulsive baker by nature.  I make, I give and I make some more. It gives me pleasure to see people eating my confections. But my schedule has been tight.  No excuses, I just don't have time to bake . . . from scratch.

Last week a colleague asked me about my recipe for Salted Caramel Rice Krispy Treats.  She was going to take a shortcut and at first, I was startled.  I don't do that.  I just don't.  Does it even count as baking if you don't make it from scratch?  This nagged me for the whole week.  I came to the conclusion that baking, at least for me, is about the love that goes into the recipe.  Whether the caramel sauce is made from heating sugar and butter or poured out of a jar doesn't really matter.  The final product in my hand, offered to another, is what matters.

So this recipe offers every shortcut there is . . . and produces a damn fine display of my love to the recipient.

Ingredients:

• White Cake Mix
• Can of Apple Pie Filling
• 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce (I used Smuckers)
• Can of Whipped Vanilla Frosting
• 1 tspn cinnamon

Instructions:

Line cupcake tin with paper liners.  Mix cake mix according to box instructions.  Add one teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup of salted caramel sauce.  Bake according to box instructions.  Allow to cool.  While cooling, dice apples into small pieces.  When cupcakes are cool, use a small spoon to cut out center of cupcake about two-thirds deep.  Fill with diced apples.  Put frosting into a bowl and add 1/4 cup of salted caramel sauce.  Mix well.  Pipe frosting onto cupcakes.  Drizzle with more caramel sauce.  Store in refrigerator.  Makes 24 cupcakes.