Ham Cupcakes?

When I think of cloves, I think of ham. Sure, I use cloves in a variety of baked goods and even breakfast cereals. But, when the top spins off the top of a bottle of ground cloves, my mind is instantly taken back to times of baking delicious honey-baked hams. I have never seem a ham quite like this in Peru. We have pigs here. There is honey. But there is no honey-baked ham. Oh how I miss those! I remember sticking little cloves into each and every square of the ham.

When I read that the theme ingredient for October's Cupcake Hero, hosted by Quirky Cupcake, is CLOVE, I wondered how I could get a clove-stuck ham into my muffin tin, and smother it with frosting. Unfortunately, nothing comes to mind. Maybe I will make that one of my quests for 2008?

When looking for retro dessert recipes, I did find an interesting cake featuring cloves and I decided it would be appropriate, even without ham, for a delicious cupcake.


Clove Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

1 1/2 cups of flour
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 tablespoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice
1/2 cup of butter, softened
3/4 cup of azucar rubia (substitute raw sugar or light brown sugar)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup of plain drinkable yogurt (substitute buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, combine flour with baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter, azucar rubia, egg and egg yolk, occasionally scraping down side of bowl with rubber spatula, until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes. At low speed, add half of the flour mixture followed by the yogurt. Add remaining flour mixture and beat just until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour batter into standard muffin tins, lined with cupcake liners, 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire rack before frosting. Makes 12.

Caramel Frosting

1/4 cup of butter
1/2 cup of grated panela sugar (substitute brown sugar)
2 1/2 tablespoons of evaporated milk
1 cup of powdered sugar

Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat; remove from heat. Add panela sugar; stir until smooth. Bring sugar mixture to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Add evaporated milk and return just to a boil over low heat. Remove from heat and cool to 110F, lukewarm. Beat powdered sugar into warm butter mixture until frosting is thick. Makes enough for 12 cupcakes. Adapted from Lynne's Country Kitchen.


Quequecitos de Clavo de Olor con Crema Caramel

1 1/2 taza de harina sin preparar
3/4 cucharita de bicarbonato
1/2 cucharada de clavo de olor, molido
1/2 cucharita de canela
1/4 cucharita de nuez moscada
1/8 cucharita de pimienta dulce, molido
100g de mantequilla, ablandado
3/4 taza de azucar rubia
1 huevo
1 yema de huevo
1 taza de yogurt natural

Precalentar el horno a 190C. En un tazon mediano, combina harina, bicarbonato, clavo de olor, canela, nuez moscada y pimienta dulce. En un tazon grande, mezcles la mantequilla, el huevo y la yema por 5 minutos. Batiendo lento agregas la mitad de la mezcla de harina, despues agregas el yogurt. Por el ultimo, agregas el resto de la mezcla de harina; batiendo 1 minutos mas. Hecha la masa en un fuente estandard de quequecitos, preparados con papeles adecuadas. Hornealos a 190C por 20-22 minutos o hasta que un palito sale limpio cuando lo pruebas. Remueve del horno, dejandolos enfriar 10 minutos en una parrilla de metal. Remueve los quequecitos de sus fuentes y dejalos enfriar completamente antes que hechas la crema. 12 porciones.

Crema de Caramel

50g de mantequilla
1/2 taza de panela rayada
2 1/2 cucharadas de leche evaporada
1 taza de azucar inpalpable

Derrita la mantequilla en una olla pequena. Remueve la olla del fuego y agregas el azucar, moviendo hasta que combinan bien. Hace hervir la mezcla y cocina 1 minuto, moviendo constantamente. Remueve la olla del fuego y agregas la leche. Hace hervir con fuego lento. Remueve del fuego y dejalo enfriar unos 8 minutos, hasta 40C. Agregas el azucar inpalpable, moviendo todo hasta que la crema se espesa. Hace suficiente por los 12 quequecitos.