Gingerbread Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2-1/2 cups flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup very hot water
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses and beat well. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Add hot water and beat on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Batter will be very thin.
- Spoon the batter into the cupcake tin, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan to cool completely. Decorate with frosting and garnish with a pinch of ground nutmeg.
Egg Nog Frosting:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons rum extract
- 4 cups (approx. 1 lb) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- dash of salt
- 3 tablespoons egg nog
Directions:
- Cream butter and shortening together until smooth. Add vanilla and rum extracts. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Add nutmeg and salt. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add egg nog and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. Refrigerate icing in an airtight container, up to 2 weeks. Re-whip before icing.
