Festive Gingerbread Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

Cream cheese icing:

Mini gingerbread biscuits:

Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add the golden syrup, vanilla essence and egg and beat together.

Using a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and all spice and mix together.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well. Add the milk and beat until just combined.

Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Allow to cool completely.

Cream cheese icing:
Cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.

Add the vanilla essence and beat together.

Gradually add the icing sugar and beat until smooth. 

Place into a piping bag fitted with a closed star nozzle.

Pipe a swirl onto each cupcake and decorate with a mini gingerbread biscuit.

Mini gingerbread biscuits:
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and beat together.

Add the golden syrup, ginger, cinnamon, all spice, baking soda and salt and beat together.

Add 112 g (a cup) of flour at a time, beating until just combined.

The dough will come together but will be rather soft. Do not add more flour or overwork the dough.

Divide the dough into 4 flat discs, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 2 - 3 mm thick.

Using a gingerbread cookie cutter, cut shapes and place on the baking tray.

Refrigerate again for 20 minutes.

Bake for about 10 minutes, then remove from the tray and allow to cool completely.

Place a gingerbread biscuit into each cupcake.

A fun treat to make with the kids!