Little Gingerbread Men (A.K.A. Gingerbread Cakelettes)

Dressed and ready for the party

I'm a sucker for cake pans.  Unique shapes, intricate designs,  or bite sized portions and I'm all over it.  From the sand castle bundt cake pan (which can also double as an ice mold) to the giant cupcake pan and individual portioned brownies so every piece has an edge crust, if it is a different pan, I have it.  After all, presentation is just as important as the taste!  So when I saw the individual gingerbread men shaped cake pans at Williams Sonoma a few years ago, I knew I had to have the pan.  This is one of those pans that only gets hauled out once a year but the resulting cakelettes always create a stir.  If you don't have this pan and aren't inclined to go out and buy one, you can turn the batter into cupcakes.

The recipe is originally from Williams Sonoma and came with the pan.  I call it a two-for-one deal.  I've added black pepper into the spice mix to give it an extra kick.

GINGERBREAD CAKELETTES

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) butter at room temperature

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

3/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup milk

1)  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour the cakelette pan.

The pan that started it all

2)  Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.

3)  In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter until creamy.

     Add the  brown sugar and continue mixing until the batter is light brown in color.  Add the egg and
     molasses and beat until combined.

4)  Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the flour in three parts, alternating with the milk.

     Continue beating until it is fully combined.

5)  Spoon the batter into each cakelette pan, spreading it into the arms and legs. Make sure to fill the 

      pans only half full.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a 

      cakelette comes out clean.

6)  Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for give minutes before inverting the pan onto a

     wire rack.  Cool the cakelettes completely before decorating with an icing of your choice.

7)  Wash and thoroughly dry the pan.  Grease and flour the pan again and repeat until all of the batter is

      used.

Yields:  Approximately 20 cakelettes