Banana and Ginger Snap Cupcakes

You know what they say about bananas, don't you? Umm, I don't either. I do know that if you're patient but a few days after purchasing them practically green you will have beautifully overripe fruit just perfect for baking.  Plus I really wanted to try out my new decorating tool, and as you can see by the pictures I could use a little more practice. Though they weren't all perfect looking (but they weren't too shabby either for my first time), I promise you they taste awesome. I took almost, that's right, almost all of them to my mother's place today and gave them to the gals working there. They loved them! Using a tried and true banana cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart, I kicked it up a notch with the addition of ground ginger. Here's the simple recipe for these light, moist and delicious treats.

BANANA AND GINGER SNAP CUPCAKES

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 to 3 large ripe, thoroughly mashed bananas

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

GINGER BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, very soft

1 1/2 tsp. milk

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 cup crushed ginger snap cookies for the tops

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin pan with regular sized paper or foil liners. In a mixing bowl, stir together the first six ingredients, the flour through the ginger. In another bowl, stir together well the butter, bananas, eggs and vanilla. Add all at once to the flour mixture and stir well. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake liners, approximately one-quarter cup of batter per cupcake. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, maybe a minute or two longer, until a toothpick comes out clean and dry. Remove immediately from pans to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, mix the sugar and butter together and add the milk, vanilla and ground ginger. You can always add more milk, so always start with less. Frost the cooled cupcakes simply or try your hand at decorating. Sprinkle the tops with the crushed ginger snap cookies. Enjoy!!!

I love comments. It makes me feel like I'm doing this for someone other than myself. If you stop by, and you have an extra second, say hi. Thanks!!!

Not too much, not too little....just perfect!