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It’s December, winter, and Christmas is just around the corner. Do we need more reasons to celebrate? Celebration means sweets and desserts, chocolates, cakes, fruits, etc. So here are a few perfect ways to enjoy this season of celebrations, cakes, cupcakes, mousse. So preheat your oven and start reading.

1. Ginger Bread Cupcakes With Cinnamon And Cream Cheese

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups whole grain flour

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons molasses

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2-4 tablespoons heavy cream

Recipe

Preheat oven to 180-degrees Centigrade and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Mix together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and set aside.

In another, large bowl whip together butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Add molasses, beat until combined. Add eggs, beating one after another until incorporated. Add vanilla. Gradually fold in the flour mixture until combined.

Divide the batter equally among the lined cups, leaving some room at the top. Bake for around 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the muffin tins for about 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

When cupcakes are completely cooled, prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Add vanilla, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth.

Gradually mix in powdered sugar.

Add 1-2 more tablespoons of heavy cream as needed to thin the frosting to a spreadable consistency.

Spread on cooled cupcakes.

2. Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

2 tablespoons cold water

1/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup heavy cream, very cold

1 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl, stir and set aside for a 1 minute to soften.

Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Let it cool.

Keep the bowls and beaters the freezer for 15 minutes to chill.

Stir together sugar and cocoa in small mixing bowl, add heavy cream.

Beat at medium speed until stiff peaks form, gradually add vanilla and gelatin mixture, beating continuously at high speed until well-blended and soft peaks form.

Pipe into serving bowls and place in refrigerator to chill.

Chill 1 hour or until ready to serve.

3. Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients

1 cup candied peel

3/4 cup candied pineapple (chopped)

3/4 cup red candied cherries (halved)

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup whole grain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 pinch of salt

6 tablespoons butter (softened)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons strawberry jam

1 tablespoon molasses

3 eggs

3/4 cups walnuts (chopped)

Recipe

Mix the candied peel, pineapple, cherries, raisins and orange juice in a bowl, cover and let sit for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.

Mix 1/4 cup of the dry mixture into the wet mixture.

Add the butter, sugar, jam and molasses in a bowl.

Add the eggs into the butter mixture one at a time.

Mix the remaining flour mixture into the butter and egg mixture.

Mix in the fruit mixture along with the nuts.

Pour the mixture into the baking pans lined with double parchment paper.

Place a baking pan with water on the lower rack of the oven.

Cover the cake pans with foil and bake on the middle racks of a preheated 150-degrees Centigrade oven until a toothpick pricked into the centre comes out clean, about 45-60 minutes.

Let cool.

So enjoy the holidays with a cupcake, a bowlful (and not spoonful) of mousse and a large piece of cake. Don’t worry about the weight you might put on, new year, and new year resolutions are just around the corner too.