Gluten and dairy-free apricot and spice cupcakes

We got a new camera! I know absolutely nothing about it yet, but thankfully it takes pretty good photos even on auto-settings.

This is a gluten and dairy-free version of the apricot and spice (sometimes apple and spice) cake that I usually make. The apricot version amuses me because they look kinda like eggs with big fat yolks.

These sank a bit. I think I should have baked them a little longer and/or used a little extra baking powder.

Apricot & Cinnamon Cupcakes

the gluten and dairy-free version

Makes 12-15 regular sized cupcakes

150g Nuttelex, melted

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups gluten-free plain flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon ground ginger

6 teaspoons baking powder

Tinned apricots (400g tin is probably enough, an 800g tin is way too much!)

1. Prepare your tin/s and preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients (except apricots!).

3. Lightly press batter into each cupcake case.

4. Press an apricot half into each case of batter.

6. Bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven). Test with a skewer.

These were a bit grainy (I blame GF flour) and a little bitter for my taste (I blame the Nuttelex). But they were edible AND free of both gluten and dairy. So, that works OK.

Snickers Cupcakes

Breakfast of champions! ...just kidding. This is a cream cheese cupcake filling mix with chunks of Snickers in it. It looks a bit gross when you mix it in (see below), but just because it's ugly doesn't mean it's bad.

Actually, these are really good. The base is chocolate, but then you get the chewy, creamy, nutty filling baked into the top...

And then you make a delicious caramel icing to go on top! Yes, I found another caramelly recipe.

This is another recipe from Betty Crocker's Big Book of Cupcakes. She calls them Chocolate Candy Cupcakes (recipe here) but I call them Snickers Cupcakes. Because, you know, I used Snickers. Betty refers to them more generically as "chocolate-covered nougat, caramel and peanut candy bars."

Often when I make something out of a book the photo shown looks nothing like what I end up with. On this occasion I feel like they were more similar than usual.

More importantly, they were delicious. Although very sweet, so be careful not to overdose! In fairness, I took these to a work bake-off and I think I was already over my sugar quota by the time I got to trying one. They probably deserve another chance ;)