Liz's Ginger Pear Cupcakes

Today is Saturday!

Checked the ole social calendar, and it is not blank! Lil 'Pizza Pop 'n' Parents Party' tonight, but we are the parents in this version. Woot woot! Obviously, there will be no pop. Probably Star Wars and whining, but who cares, I'm not hosting! I am bringing the dessert and I woke up bright and early at 8:00a.m. to whip it up so no little people would try to ruin it by helping. Buuut we have Nintendo now, so they were up with the sun and bothering me to help and lick stuff. Please ignore my lack of pictures, as I was mostly holding a beastly child back with one hand and trying to concentrate with the other.

I made ginger pear cupcakes. Isn't that the combo everyone picks when they bring treats to a family gathering with six kids? They should! Because ginger and pear go together like...I don't know, ginger and bread. Ginger is such a fun flavor pop and pear is just sweet and mellow. I thought this one up because of that huge hunk of ginger I bought this week. The cakes have fresh minced ginger, powdered ginger, and a candied ginger topping. Pow! And if the kids don't eat them, I mean, more for us. Sugar is bad for children anyways. They should be focused on Star Wars and fighting with one another.

Ginger Pear Cupcakes

Yield 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes

Like these two had a sugary baby together.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. allspice 

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs 

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup Greek yogurt You may sub sour cream.

1 T. minced fresh ginger

1 pear, processed in a food processor to smooth puree You don't even have to peel it!

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease cupcake pan with butter wrapper.

2) Whisk together flour and next six ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, yogurt, fresh ginger and pear until fully incorporated, scraping sides.

3) Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Divide batter into 12 cupcake cups. Bake for 18-20minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

I frosted with a buttercream frosting. Recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

8 oz. confectioner's sugar (about 2 cups), sifted  I didn't sift it, and I am still dealing with the regret.

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

3 T. milk

Instructions

1) Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2) Add vanilla, salt and 1 T. milk and beat again, scraping sides. Add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until frosting reaches spreadable consistency.