Just a Few...

Have you ever wanted to bake cupcakes for your family, but find that a batch makes WAY too many? For this reason I almost always cut the recipe in half, but even with the reduced portions I end up giving several away.

Also, I have found when baking cupcakes that making 12 or 24 rarely happens. In order to make them correctly, it is critical the baking cups are filled no more than 1/3-1/2 full. Otherwise the cakes will fall or spread over the top of the muffin pan and possibly be unsightly, with crisp edges. So, making a batch of 12 cupcakes usually ends up totalling 15 or 16.

Anyway, this morning I made a ton of canned apple pie filling. I had a little of the sweet gel left in the bottom of the pot, so I scraped it out and saved it. For what? I didn't quite know yet! Fast-forward to this evening when I went into the kitchen to assemble the crock-pot fajitas I had going. I couldn't resist whipping up a small batch of Buttermilk Spice Cupcakes and using a little leftover Cream Cheese Frosting and the remaining pie filling for a topping. Next time, though, I'll probably go with just cream cheese frosting...or I'll pipe some pie filling into the centers of the cupcakes before frosting them. But these were fabulous as well!

8 cupcakes is still generous, so you may still have leftovers...but you shouldn't be too overwhelmed (if there are four of you, like us)! Be sure to keep them refrigerated if you use cream cheese.

Buttermilk Spice Cupcakes (small batch)

1/2 cup, plus 2 tbsp flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup, plus 1 1/2 tbsp buttermilk

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple Pie Filling, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8 muffin cups with papers.

Using a hand-held mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in the egg. Add the spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix just until combined. Add the buttermilk and flour. Beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and beat three minutes.

Divide batter between the 8 cups. Bake 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool completely before frosting or topping with the pie filling.

Makes 8 cupcakes.