OK, here’s something a little different and I should have posted this a few weeks ago, on December 5-6 (St. Nicholas Day), but I was traveling at the time, so I’ll just post it now. In theory, these are just gingerbread cupcakes, but I made monsters out of them. Krampus monsters, that is. Now, thanks to the film that came out in 2015, most people know what Krampus is (think of them as Santa’s evil elves!) but it is a long-held tradition in Bavaria, Austria, the “Alpine regions” and part of Eastern Europe to have Krampus monsters kidnapping poorly behaved children during Christmas. All in good fun! Believe it or not, in Austria, they even have Krampus chocolates (like Chocolate Santa Claus).
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup boiling water
optional toppings: whipped cream, cream cheese frosting or a dusting of powdered sugar
Note: these are intended as cupcakes, but I made them in the shape of monster heads, with a nod to Krampus. More on Krampus can be read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cupcake baking pan with parchment liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and sea salt until combined. In a separate large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), use an electric mixer to cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the molasses, vanilla extract and egg and mix on medium-low speed until combined, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed. Add the dry ingredient mixture and mix on medium-low speed until evenly combined. Add the boiling water and (very carefully) mix on low speed until evenly combined. The batter will be quite thin and liquidy, but this is normal.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Top with any of your desired toppings if desired, then serve and enjoy!
