Mini Pumpkin-molasses Cakes

Total Time: 44 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 24 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• caramel candy, unwrapped (for leaves, stem, and vines)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375°. beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add brown sugar, beating well. add egg, beating until blended. add canned pumpkin and molasses, beating well.
• 2 combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to pumpkin mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. spoon into a lightly greased pumpkin-shaped muffin pan (or mini-bundt cakes pan), filling three-fourths full.
• 3 bake at 375° for 24 to 26 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
• 4 cut rounded tops off muffins to make them flat. invert top muffins onto bottom muffins, forming pumpkins. drizzle glaze over pumpkins. decorate with caramel stems, leaves, and vines, if desired.
• 5 caramel stem: press 1 caramel between fingers, lengthening to 1 1/2 to 2 inches to form a stem. curl stem gently.
• 6 caramel leaves: roll caramels into 2-inch squares on a flat surface, using a rolling pin. cut into leaves, using a paring knife. gently press tips of leaves to flatten, if desired. score leaves, using a paring knife. pinch bottoms of leaves together.
• 7 caramel vines: cut 1 caramel into 3 equal pieces. squeeze each piece gently to flatten, and roll between hands or on a flat surface into a long thin rope. twist ends to curl.