Gingerbread makeover

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

Christmas truly is my favorite time of the year. I love being able to spend time with friends and family, and I always look forward to that perfect moment on Christmas Eve, when the house lights in the church go down, the congregation raises their candles, and they join together to sing the final two songs of the service, “Silent Night,” and “Joy to the World.”

For those five-or-so minutes, my soul is at peace.

But let's get real here: Besides celebrating the birth of Jesus, everyone knows Christmas is about food.

What holiday isn’t?

So in the spirit of the holiday, I thought it only proper to transform a cookie classic into cupcakes. I know I’m not the first person to do this, and I’m not staking claim on the idea. I’m sure Martha Stewart has been punching out recipes like this since she was 12.

But I haven’t. And these gingerbread cupcakes are actually pretty simple. Just take all the glorious spices of gingerbread — nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and of course, ginger, bump up the egg and flour contribution — and voila! Gingerbread yumness.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

What you need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsulphered molasses
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What to do:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with baking cup liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour and spices; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light, about three minutes. Beat in the molasses until incorporated. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour-spice mix and mix on low speed until just combined.

Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly.

Bake cupcakes about 30 minutes.

Let cupcakes cool about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

What you need:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon

What to do:
In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.

Add cinnamon and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Frost cupcakes, and chow down.