Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberries

OK, so I don't have a sweet-tooth, and I have a great dislike for strawberries.  But I gotta tell you, these cupcakes are THE BOMB!!!  I don't know how I stubbled across this website, but thank heavens I did.  Easy, peasy, delicious, 4 ingredients (ok, more with what you need for the cupcakes and pudding).  

And lastly, they are GORGEOUS!!!  One contributor suggested dipping the strawberries in chocolate first to give another texture dimension.  Someone else suggested making them to reflect different holidays:  white cake mix with pink-tinted pudding for Valentine's Day, or even blue-tinted pudding for 4th of July (Red, White, and Blue).  Regardless, they all wonderfully tasty.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES with STRAWBERRIES (makes about 24)

1 package cake mix, chocolate
1 package strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1 package pudding, chocolate (I used instant)
Fresh mint sprigs, optional but awesome

Prepare cupcakes according to the package and let cool.  Using a paring knife, cone out a well down into each cupcake for your strawberry to fit into.  Prepare your pudding according to the package.  Let set until nice and pudding-y (solid-wet gloopy pudding will ruin the cupcakes, so don't be in a rush, let the pudding firm up!)

Stick the strawberry pointy-side down into your cupcakes.  Take the piece of the cupcake that you cut out, and smush that on top of the strawberry, after you push it down into the cupcake.

Top liberally with pudding in lieu of frosting.

Add a sprig of mint if you like.  I adds a certain something.

If possible, cut each cupcake in half and set on a plate because presentation is everything with these suckers.  They are DELICIOUS and super easy.

Recipe Source:  instructables.com or littlemomprairie.blogspot.com