Gingerbread cupcakes with Gingerbread Molasses Frosting

Holiday baking is one of my favorite things to do.  I found a really good gingerbread cupcake recipe at www.shugarysweets.com .  I searched the Internet and couldn't find what I wanted so I made up my own frosting recipe.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp molasses
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used the old standby of 1 tbl white vinegar in the 1/2 cup of regular milk)
10 Pepperidge Farm Gingerbread cookies, pulverized
       (The ShugarySweet recipe called for 6 Gingerbread Oreos which we don't have here.)

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2  Tbsp milk (You may need a touch more if you like runnier frosting.)
2 tsp molasses
5 Pepperidge Farm Gingerbread cookies, pulverized

Preheat oven to 350'.  Line cupcakes tins with liners and set aside.

Cupcakes: In large bowl combine butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs and molasses until smooth.  Add flour and all seasonings (including baking soda and powder), stir until combined well.  Stir in buttermilk.  Fold in gingerbread cookies.  Scoop into liner until half full.  Bake for 15 -18 minutes.  Makes 24 cupcakes or about 80 mini cupcakes

Frosting: Fluff butter for 3 minutes on high.  Add powdered sugar, milk and molasses.  Add more milk or powdered sugar until it is about the consistency you want.  Add the gingerbread cookies.

I added some frosting stiffener so I could travel with mini cupcakes which we really well received!