Tuesday, August 5, 2014

gingerbread cupcakes with honey butter icing and gingerman cookies

I am always looking around for inspiration, espcially for my bakes. The other morning I was at the supermarket and I saw a packet of gingerman cookies.

They were really cute so I bought a pack, thinking that I would figure out what to do with them when I got home. I was looking at them this morning when I remembered this recipe I had buried somewhere. So I found the recipe and made some gingerbread cupcakes!
I really like making cupcakes because there are so many things one can do in terms of combinations of flavours, colours, frostings and toppings. Best of all, cupcakes are really simple, quick and a lot of fun to make!

Here's to make these pretty cupcakes!

I started by creaming together softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture turned light and fluffy.
Into this, I added the eggs and continued beating.
The mixture may start to curdle but worry not.

I sifted together flour, ground ginger and mixed spice. I added the this, as well as the milk into the mixing bowl in the sequence flour-milk-flour-milk-flour and continued mixing at low speed, until all the flour had been incorporated.
I dished the batter into cupcake liners.
The cupcakes were baked, and cooled.
While the cupcakes were left to cool, I sacrificed a few of the gingerman cookies and blitzed them in a food processor. You can also place them in a ziplock bag and bash them gently with a rolling pin.
For these cupcakes, I decided to use a Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) instead of the Honey Butter Icing because I simply love SMBC.

I piped the buttercream onto the cupcake.
Then sprinkled some gingerman cookie crumbs onto the buttercream.
And finally I stuck a gingerman cookie onto each cupcake.
I really liked these cupcakes.

They are so adorable.
Eating them is fun too, especially when I get to bite off the heads of the gingerman cookies first.

RECIPE
Gingerman Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Gingerman Cookies (Makes 12)
Slightly adapted from Donna Hay

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, sifted
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice, sifted
3/4 cup (165g) brown sugar - I reduced this to 125g
125g unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1/3 cup (80ml) milk - I used whole milk
2 (10ml) teaspoons vanilla extract
18 gingerman cookies

Method:
1. Cream together butter and sugar until mixture turns pale and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, one at a time and continue to mix.
3. Sift together flour, ground ginger and mixed spice.
4. Add flour and milk in the sequence flour-milk-flour-milk-flour and continue to mix until all the flour had been incorporated.
5. Dish batter into cupcake liners.
6. Bake at 160°C (325°F) for 18-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into a cupcake emerges cleanly.
7. Allow cupcakes to cool in the tray for 10 minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. While cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream. (Recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream can be found here.) Alternatively, you may choose to use the Honey Butter Icing (recipe below).
9. Blitz (or bash) 5 gingerman cookies until you obtain fine crumbs.
10. Frost gingerman cookies with buttercream, sprinkle crumbs and top with a gingerman cookie.

Honey Butter Icing
Adapted from Donna Hay

Ingredients:
250g unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups (280g) icing sugar, sifted
1/4 cup (90g) honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
1. Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer. Beat for 6-8 minutes until light and creamy.
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the icing sugar, honey and vanilla and beat for 10-15 minutes, or until pale and fluffy.
3. Frost the cupcakes with the icing, coat with gingerman cookie crumbs, and decorate with a gingerman cookie if you wish.

Note: Cupcakes can be kept in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Eat at room temperature.

I've been twiddling my thumbs, waiting and waiting for August to arrive because for this entire month, I shall be hosting the Little Thumbs Up event organised by Zoe from Baking for Kids and Doreen of my little favourite DIY.

I have chosen Flour as the theme ingredient for this month.
Flour is an essential ingredient in my (and I am sure, many of your) kitchen. It is the base of pastas and noodles, cakes and biscuits, or even as thickening agents in the making of a roux. The list of food items made using flour is endless.

As such, we will be limiting the theme to mainly Wheat Flour, namely,

1. All-Purpose (also known as Plain) Flour
2. Bread Flour
3. Cake Flour
4. Self-raising Flour
5. Pastry Flour
6. Wholemeal Flour
7. Hong Kong (also known as Waterlily) Flour
8. Superlite Flour
9. Top Flour

You must use one of these flours in its raw form in your recipe and you must use at least 1 tablespoon or 10g of one (or more) of these flours in your cooking.


Please note, however, that
1. Your submission must be one that is posted in August 2014.
2. You mention the following, This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs Up organised by Bake for Happy Kids and My Little Favourite DIY, and hosted by Diana from the Domestic Goddess Wannabe at the end of your post.
3. You display the Little Thumbs Up badge in your post.
4. The last day of submission to this event is 31 August 2014.

It would be great if you can visit the blogs from the link and leave a comment.

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16 comments:

  1. Oh my these cupcakes are so cute!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Diana,

    You have started this event and you have 14 entry already!!! Wow!

    Don't blitz the gingerbread men... They are so cute! Oh well! You have to sacrifice them to make these delicious cupcakes...

    Zoe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha Zoe, it is ok, They were sacrificed for the betterment of all!

      Delete
  3. Ah they certainly are adorable. Anyway linking my first post to you for LTU. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Diana, those gingerbread cupcakes looks so cute and yummy! Shall put this on my to-try list! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Diana,
    These cupcakes are so cute .i would love to have this for supper now ;)
    You're awesome, it's only day 8 of the month and you have had 75 links.
    2 thumbs up!!
    mui

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lovely & yummy cupcakes! I've linked my 1st LTU entry to you . Happy hosting Diana ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yummy cupcakes! My girl loves them at her first sight! I have linked my first entry to this site.

    Thank you for hosting, Diana.

    ReplyDelete
  8. My girl loves your lovely cupcakes at her first sight. This is my first entry. :)

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My girl loves your cupcakes! This is my first entry.

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete