Christmas Spice Cupcakes with Mini Gingerbread men

Ooooh only 10 days to go, I'm very excited, I've almost bought and wrapped every present I've nearly finished making the berry wreath I'm working on and I've just made the cutest little cupcakes. Why are they so cute? Well because on top of them they have mini gingerbread men smiling back at you!

I found some mini cookie cutters and I just couldn't help my self so on Wednesday I made some Gingerbread I made mini cookies to top my cakes with as well as larger gingerbread men and gingerbread Christmas trees. Here's One of the bigger cookies:

 He's waving! And he's all like "Oh Haaaii" hehehe

And since I used mini gingerbread men to top the cakes, first of all here's how the ginger bread is made:

This recipe makes quite allot of dough so half if needed.

500g Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt
2 Tsps Ground Ginger
1 Tsp Mixed Spice
2 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
125g Butter
60g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
60g Caster Sugar
5 Tbsps Golden Syrup
1 Egg Beaten

Preheat oven to 180deg C. Sift flour, salt, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate into a bowl, mix and make a well in the centre. Put the Butter, Sugars and syrup into a pan and lightly heat while stirring until melted. Pour into flour mixture, add egg and mix to form a dough. Adding a bit more flour if necessary.
Flour surface and knead the dough. Roll out and cut into shapes, re roll out trimmings until all is used. If adding raisins to cookies (for buttons etc) , add before baking. Place on a greased baking sheet, with room between each cookie for spreading, and bake for 10-15 mins until lightly browned. If you have allot of cookies you may need to bake in batches.Leave to cool and then ice.

And here are the cakes with their little Gingerbread men:

I just couldn't help smiling when I saw them all lined up smiling back at me. Here's how the cakes were made:

Makes 12
120g Plain Flour
70g Caster Sugar
70g Dark Brown Soft Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Baking powder
40g Butter
120ml Milk
1 Egg
1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract
1 Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tsp Mixed Spice

For the frosting 
250g Icing Sugar
80g Unsalted Butter
2ml Milk
Few drops of Vanilla extract
Grating of fresh Nutmeg

Pre heat oven to 170deg C. Put the flour, sugars, baking powder and butter into a bowl and rub together (or mix with an electric whisk until you have a sandy consistency. Gradually pour in half the milk and mix until just incorporated. Whisk the egg, vanilla and remaining milk together and then add to the mix. Add the Ginger and Mixed spice and mix until well combined. Spoon the mixture into paper cases and bake for about 20 minutes. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean. Leave to cool before icing.  
For the icing, blend the sugar, butter, milk and vanilla together, Pipe over cakes and grate a little nutmeg over the top. Top with a little Gingerbread man. And that's it!

 

Bye for now, and happy Christmas baking

Cupcake Kris xx