Mini gingerbread cupcakes (vegan) and a Prize Draw

As a child I remember going to Woolies at the weekend with my parents and being allowed a treat in the cafe.  My all time favourite was a slice of gingerbread with a layer of smooth white glace icing on the top.  Super spicy and warming and then the icing creating the foil for the taste buds, giving it a sweet and zingy tang at the same time.

My camera was playing up so the photos are not great today, but I'll make some more and post better photos later. (These yummy little tastes of ginger heaven have all been eaten already!)

I've carried that taste with me into adulthood, and never quite found it again.  I came close with Delia's recipe for ginger cake with lemon icing in her How to Cook book (and it is absolutely divine), but this is the recipe that most matches up to the taste sensations I remember.


These gingerbread muffins are made in the Pampered Chef deluxe mini muffin pan, and are based on the gingerbread cupcakes in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.  If you have never come across the wonders that are contained in this book, I'd give it a go NOW and be blown away by how fabulous the recipes are even if you're not a vegan.

I've fiddled with the recipe as usual, because I just can't leave them alone, and I have them just the way I like them.  Unfortunately it means I'm likely to eat about four in a row.  They are just little bites of heaven. 

As usual if you aren't worrying about dairy or keeping this vegan it works fine with cows milk and plain yoghurt.

This makes about 36 mini cupcakes (I haven't managed to perfect it to make the 24 yet!)  Or you could make a few big ones in a separate tray too. The recipe makes 12 perfectly sized big muffins in the stoneware muffin pan too.

If you fancy a prize draw for a piece of the kit used to make this recipe then come along and like my facebook page to be entered into the prize draw on 31st March 2012. If you share your love for the page on Facebook with your friends and they come and like too, and mention your name, then you'll be entered again!  Get referring!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch (1/8tsp) mixed spice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup soya milk
1/3 cup treacle
1/2 cup golden syrup
2 tablespoons soy yoghurt
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 pieces of crystallized ginger


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the deluxe mini muffin pan with paper liners.

2. Measure the flour in an easy read measuring cup and put in a classic batter bowl.

3.  Measure out the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt with the adjustable measuring spoons, add to the bowl, and mix with a stainless whisk.

4.  Using the easy read measuring cup measure the oil and soya milk and place in a separate bowl.  I use my small batter bowl.

5. To measure the treacle and syrup I use my measureall cup which allows you to get at every last drop of the sticky stuff and not waste any. Put this in the bowl with the oil and soya milk

6.  Add the yoghurt and grate in the zest of the lemon with a microplane zester.

7.  Mix together with the whisk until this forms a lovely silky, gloopy, treacly, smelling liquid.

8. Chop up the crystallized ginger with a food chopper using it with the lid on to contain it all. Add to the mix.

9.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well with the stainless whisk.  The batter will be very runny - that is okay!

10.  Now pour into the waiting paper cases.  You can be much more accurate if you use a Pampered Chef small scoop as it is the perfect size for the mini muffin pan and will give you cupcakes that are all exactly the same size. Very professional looking.

11.  Cook for about 15 mins until a knife comes out clean.  Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before icing.

12. Ice using plain white icing made with water and icing sugar, or add some lemon juice for a zesty alternative.  I like them with an extra little bit of crystallized ginger too.