GINGERBREAD PUMPKIN BITES

I set out to do something a bit different.  Not a cake, not a cookie and not quite a cupcake.  I used a mini muffin pan to make these bites and 2 – 4 oz ramekins cuz I had batter left over.  I chose gingerbread for  the holiday (houses are cute but who eats them) and for the fact that it is a favorite of Brother #3 who taste tests many of my trials.  The pumpkin was added because a) I had it leftover and b) because it is my favorite.

Feel free to double this recipe and bake in a 13×9 pan, make large cupcakes or skip the recipe and use your favorite box mix (see notes).  The fresh ginger adds a nice punch and the topping provides a tartness to cut through the sweetness of the bites.

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup), softened
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp powdered cloves
• 1/4 tsp fresh grated or powdered nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger (about 2 oz)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (dark)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (completely optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

topping:

• 1 lrg tbsp cream cheese, softened
• 1 lrg tbsp sour cream, room temperature
• 1 lrg tsp confectioners sugar
• pumpkin pie spice or fresh grated nutmeg for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray mini cup cake pan (24 cakes) and 2 – 4 oz ramekins
3. Soften butter in large bowl
4. Sift sugar over butter and beat with hand mixer until light and fluffy (or whisk really hard)
5. Add molasses to sugar blend and beat to combine
6. Add egg and beat to combine
7. Beat in pumpkin
8. Add vanilla and beat for 2 minutes or until well combined
9. Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl and whisk to blend
10. Grate fresh ginger over bowl to catch the juices and incorporate into dry ingredients
11. Add a third of the flour to the sugar blend and stir by hand until mixed
12. Add a third of the buttermilk and stir until mixed
13. Repeat steps until all ingredients are well combined (batter will not be smooth)
14. Carefully scoop large tsp of batter into prepared pan filling each 3/4 full
15. Scoop remaining batter into 2 – 4 oz ramekins filling each 3/4 full
16. Bake mini cupcakes 12- 17 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
17. Bake ramekins 17-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean, turning ramekins half way through cooking (or when cupcakes come out)
18. Use a tsp to gently press the center down on the cakes if you wish to fill the top center
19. Cool pan and ramekins 5 – 10 minutes and remove cakes
20. Finish cooling on wire rack
21. Combine all topping ingredients and refrigerate, remove 15 minutes before serving
22. Fill depression on cakes or swirl cakes in topping then sprinkle with spice blend or nutmeg

NOTES:

• if you aren’t a fan of ginger, leave out the grated fresh ginger but not the powdered ginger
• if you use a spice cake mix add the spices called for in the recipe to punch up the taste
• I did not try using non dairy milk in this recipe but would use evaporated coconut milk
• clean drips off top of mini cupcake pan before baking to eliminate burning
• for a sweeter topping add only one half the sour cream and add another tsp of conf sugar
• ENJOY