Cookie exchange tip: Bring these mini cupcakes to an exchange for a fun alternative to cookies. Use Christmas-themed cupcake liners.

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• ¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup unsulfured dark (robust) molasses
• 1 cup boiling water

Rum-raisin frosting

• ½ cup dark raisins
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 4 Pieces
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line 24 mini muffin cups with cupcake liners.

2 In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Set aside.

3 In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and then the molasses until well combined. Immediately stir in the boiling water. On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until smooth.

4 Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean and dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan(s) on a wire rack.

5 While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, prepare the frosting. In a small bowl, mix together the raisins and rum and let stand for 15 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid.

6 In a food processor, combine the cream cheese and butter and process until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and pulse until a smooth, spreadable frosting forms. Transfer to a bowl. Stir the raisin liquid into the frosting until evenly combined.

7 When the cupcakes are cool, tip them out of the pan and frost them with the frosting. Top with raisins. 

Makes 24 mini cupcakes

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From Very Merry Cookie Party: How to Plan and Host a Christmas Cookie Exchange by Barbara Grunes, Virginia Van Vynct, and France Ruffenach. Published by Chronicle Books. Copyright 2010 by Chronicle Books. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Chronicle Books.