gingerbread

To me it really doesn’t seem like Christmas without gingerbread.  We usually make gingerbread cookies or gingersnaps, which I know isn’t the same as gingerbread but we like ginger something at Christmas.  This year I decided to make cupcakes but not just any cupcakes these ones have beer in them, Chocolate Bock to be exact.  The Chocolate Bock is a dark beer that is slightly sweet.

Makes 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance)
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 3 “eggs” (I used Egg Replacer)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 cup Chocolate Bock or other dark beer (stout or dark bock would work best)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cupcake pan and a 6 cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a stand mixer or large bowl with an electric beater, cream together the margarine and raw sugar.  Beat in the “eggs” until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg.
4. In a another medium bowl combine the molasses and beer and stir to dissolve.
5. Add the dry ingredients and beer mixture alternately to the margarine mixture, beating after the addition of each.
6. Fill the cupcake liners until about 3/4 full and bake for 20-22 minutes until lightly browned and when a tooth pick is inserted it comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove and continue to cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, frost with vanilla frosting or glaze with my orange spice glaze (recipe below).

Orange Spice Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 box of lite silken tofu (I used mori-nu)
• zest and juice of 1 medium orange
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ginger
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.