So, when we started this week off with a bump in the road, I put wee man to work, helping me to make some delicious gingerbread cupcakes. (Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction) Rather than going for a cream cheese, or what seems to be becoming the go-to gingerbread pairing, orange frosting, I decided to go with a simple maple one. I tend to make frosting by texture, rather than a recipe, when I'm doing a simple buttercream using icing sugar, but I will post a rough recipe below.
Once they were cooled and frosted, he got to decorate them with some festive sprinkles. He probably ate as many as he put on the cupcakes, but that's to be expected when your baking assistant is 2 years old.
I'm not quite into the spirit of the holidays just yet, but a few bites of these sweet and spicy goodies is getting me a lot closer. :)
Maple Frosting Recipe:
1/2c unsalted butter
1-2c icing sugar
1/4tsp salt
1/4c maple syrup*
Cream the butter with whisk attachment in stand mixer, slowly add icing sugar until thick, add maple syrup and salt, then add icing sugar until thick again. I then whisk for 5min to really make the frosting fluffy.
*The thickness of the maple syrup you have will obviously affect how much/little icing sugar you need to thicken the frosting. The kind I currently have happens to be somewhat thicker than one I had before, so I didn't need too much sugar, and it is lovely. In the past, when I have a runnier syrup, I have reduced it on the stove, but that is not to be taken on by the faint of heart or the inexperienced. If you boil it too long, you will end up with candy.
So, what do you do when things aren't going as you had hoped; what's your pick-me-up? And what helps to get you into the holiday spirit?
