Jean Fontaine, Baldwin County
1 cup chopped pecans
2 ¼ cup self-rising flour
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small box vanilla pudding
1 cup coconut rum
½ cup Crisco oil
4 eggs, beaten well

Place paper cupcake liners in 12-cup muffin pan. Line each cup bottom with 1 tablespoon chopped pecans. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl; beat well for 5 minutes. Pour ¾ cup batter in each cup. Bake for 18 minutes in 350 F oven. Cool and place choice of topping on each cupcake. (Jean prefers meringues on her cupcakes.)