Berry Filling

YOU CAN USE ANY TYPE OF BERRY FOR THIS FILLING, HOWEVER, I GENERALLY ONLY USE RASPBERRIES. I ALSO USE THIS RECIPE FOR ON CHEESECAKE, ESPECIALLY WITH BLUEBERRIES. AND I HAVE ALSO USED A MIXTURE OF BERRIES THAT ARE LEFT OVER AND IT WORKS GOOD.

In an 8-quart pot, mix together:

• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. cornstarh
• 2 c. water (or juice from the berries)

Stir very well. Place the pot on a burner at medium heat. Stir constantly. Just before the mixture comes to a boil, add:

• 1 c. slightly crushed berries

Boil and stir until it reaches desired thickness. Remove it from the heat and stir in:

• 1 T. vanilla (optional)
• up to 3 c. berries (you decide how many berries you want in your filling). If you are using strawberries, it is suggested to cut them into pieces.

Cool the filling completely. I pour it into my mixer bowl from the cooking pot to speed up the process. I set it in the fridge often as well. When it is cooled, beat it well and then transfer into a Ziploc bag. Cut off one of the corners at the bottom of the bag and pipe it into the cupcake centers. Or else use a rubber scraper and use as filling in a layered cake.