Fabulous "Fortune Cookie" Cupcakes

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Ask your child to line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners and set the pans aside.
2. Measure a strip of parchment that’s 12 inches long and 2 inches wide into 1/2-inch-long segments. Cut the strip into 24 pieces (2 x ½ inch each).
3. Have your child write the fortunes on one side of each parchment piece with a ballpoint penor ideas (for ideas, see "Fabulous Fortunes," below). Fold the fortunes in half, wrap each in a small piece of aluminum foil, and set aside.
4. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and ask your child to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more.
5. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. Have your child gently press a fortune into the center of each cupcake with a toothpick or a fork, sinking it into the batter so it cannot be seen.
6. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, approximately 20 to 22 minutes.
7. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before garnishing.
8. If your child wishes, place a cake stencil on top of each cupcake and sift confectioners’ sugar over the cupcake to cover the pattern. Carefully lift off the stencil to reveal the sugar design. Or, forgo the stencil and simply dust confectioners’ sugar over each cupcake. The cupcakes are ready to serve and enjoy!

Store these cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 5 days. Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Fabulous Fortune Ideas

If your child is making these for schoolmates, they will flip when they find cupcake fortunes that predict what they might be when they grow up. Here are some ideas:

• President of the United States
• Famous ballerina
• Firefighter
• Painter
• Author
• Teacher
• Olympic runner
• Doctor
• Movie star
• Veterinarian

If cupcakes are for your child's birthday party, consider having the fortunes match party favors or gifts:

• You have won a new ball.
• Your party gift is a paint set.
• Congratulations! You are the owner of a brand new action figure.

Or, just select a nice compliment for each fortune, such as:

• You are fun to be with.
• You have a nice smile.
• You are a hard worker.
• You are a good sport.