Sticky Gingerbread Cupcakes

Last night Sylvia asked if the smell of gingerbread or a real pine Christmas tree was better.  I said she was lucky to have both in the house.  We had been baking gingerbread biscuits for her class Christmas party.  Gingerbread has been her thing lately.  (All Christmas is her thing actually.)  She spied some really cute gingerbread sprinkles in the shops so we baked gingerbread cupcakes a week or so ago just to decorate with them.

As I have previously mentioned, it has been pretty crazy this festive season.  As well as the usual tree decorating, Christmas lighting ogling, carols services and play dates, we had two huge back to back events at work last week.  At the same time my computer broke down at home.  I missed it a lot.  But there was also a lot of freedom in not being online as much.

When we decided to make cupcakes, instead of heading to my computer - which was in computer hospital, Sylvia and I sat browsing cookbooks from the shelves.  It is far too long since I have done that.  (I'd like to say it has made me realise I should do it more but now my computer is back I am already back to my online ways even if I haven't had much time for blogging.)

Sylvia insisted we use treacle instead of golden syrup and we went really fancy with the icing.  Sadly we did not have lemon juice so the icing was a bit plain tasting but looked pretty good.  The cupcakes also tasted great.  (They lasted a week in an airtight container and were a bit dry but still edible.)

We made them to take to a local carols service to attend in lieu of the one that was cancelled the previous weekend.  Sylvia packaged up the cupcakes very nicely but when we took them out at the carols, they were a little mis-shapen.

As Sylvia has been quite taken by gingerbread this year, she has asked me to share a few gingerbread photos.  It is just a small part of the gingerbread in her life lately. 

Here is the gingerbread advertising at Coles supermarket.

These are Sylvia's gingerbread pyjamas.

A gingerbread man from Ferguson Plarre bakery.

Gingerbread cream that Sylvia got me to buy.  E says it is like brandy butter without the brandy.

Gingerbread recipes and a packet of gingerbread shortbread that Syliva rejected but E is enjoying.

Finally we saw the gingerbread village in the Melbourne Town Hall tonight.  It was great with a few new buildings such as Flinders Street Station (above).  I hope to find time for some more Christmas posts soon!  Lots to share but so little time.

More gingerbread recipes on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Gingerbread biscuits
Gingerbread houses (small) with vegan royal icing 
Gingerbread squares with peel (v)
Lebkuchen  
Plum gingerbread sponge pudding
Rebecca's gingerless gingerbread
Treacle gingerbread

Sticky Gingerbread Cupcakes
Adapted from The Family Circle New Muffin Cookbook
Makes 12 cupcakes and 24 mini muffins

Dry ingredients:
2 cups white self raising flour
3/4 cup wholemeal plain flour
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp bicarb of soda

Wet ingredients:
2/3 cup treacle or molasses
100g butter or margarine
1 cup buttermilk (we used soy milk with a tsp of vinegar set aside at beginning)
1 egg lightly beaten

Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Melt treacle and butter together.  Mix with remaining wet ingredients and fold into dry ingredients.  Spoon into lined muffin trays.  Bake at 200 C for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle.  Cool on a wire rack.

NOTES: Our cupcakes were dairy free because we used dairy free margarine and instead of buttermilk I mixed soy milk with a tsp of cider vinegar and set it aside to curdle at the start.  Icing and sprinkles are optional.  We iced our cupcakes with buttermilk but I would have preferred a lemony cream cheese frosting if I had been better organised. 

On the Stereo:
White Christmas: Bing Crosby