Gingerbread Cupcakes

I have been in the kitchen since last week, making some Star of David cakes for the other December holiday. And somehow I managed to not get a single picture. I will see if I can find some from last year. But with Christmas just around the corner, I went into a baking superdrive last night, and whipped up 2 batches for my husbands work. The Snickerdoodle was on request for an encore presentation, and then I added in some Gingerbread because, well it just felt right. I'm not a huge fan of gingerbread cookies myself, but it smells good, so I went for it. This was by far the stickiest, thickest cupcake batter I have ever seen, but they turned out cute in the end :)

First up- the ingredients... well almost all of them anyways....

Somehow this one missed the call for pictures. But of course we need Ginger!

Combine the flour with all the spices

Next up, butter and sugar. We're going to cream until they are nice and fluffy

Like this!

Now here's where it gets sticky... 3 tablespoons of Grandma's Molasses

See what I mean about sticky?

The eggs softened it up a little bit, but maybe some vanilla will help

Now for the flour mix. I like to fold it in a little so I don't inhale it all when I turn on the mixer

All blended into one happy batter

See what I mean about thick?!

In the oven and finally starting to look like a regular batter after a couple of minutes

And here they are! Now we just need them to cool so we can add some pretty finishing touches

Like these guys! What's a Gingerbread Cupcake with a Gingerbread Man?

Merry Christmas!

Now, this receipe is from the Martha Stewart Cupcakes book, and she has lovely gingerbread cookie cutouts on top of her cupcakes. But she makes hers by hand. Who has time for that?! I had these little packaged cookies around the house, and they worked lovely. So did Betty's Fluffy White Frosting :) Shhhh... I won't tell anyone!

Gingerbread Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) of butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350

Sift together flour and all the spices. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the molasses and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is combined. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and slowly add in flour mixture, beating until just combined.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting on wire racks.

To decorate, add vanilla or white frosting, and gingerbread men.