Joy's Toffee Apple Gingerbread Skeleton Cupcakes

So shamefully it's been absolutey months since I last posted on here, but here goes:

I halved the original recipe & it still made 30 mini cupcakes. I used to loathe recipes that called for cups but all the best muffin & cupcake recipes are American!

You will need:

• 1 cup of plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter/marg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup applesauce 

The recipe also called for the following, which I didn't have. I intended to replace them with toffee chunks, but I forgot to include them in the mix so used them to top the cakes instead!

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 
• Pinch of nutmeg 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Line mini muffin tin with cupcake cases.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients.
3. In a large bowl, cream together sugars butter.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
5. Add applesauce, then flour mixture. Mix just until combined after each addition.
6. Spoon into cases & bake for about 8-10 minutes.

I used vanilla buttercream coloured purple, green & orange for that extra halloweeny feel, then topped with gingerbread skeletons & toffee chunks.

There's already a gingerbread recipe on the blog as Charlie made them for Christmas, or you use own family one (I can't remember which book the recipe I used was in, sorry!) But I quartered the recipe as I knew I wouldn't use much. I rolled them thinly, & used a mini gingerbread cutter to make the shapes. They only took about 4 mins in the oven so don't forget about them! I used writing icing to decorate, then assembled. I would suggest not sticking them on until just before you want to eat them as they did go very soft the next day.