Spicy Pumpkin Butter Cupcakes

Before I found out I had fructose malabsorption, I used to bake. I never used packet mixes, and I had reached the stage where I was starting to experiment with my own creations. Then I discovered I couldn’t have wheat flour without having undesirable consequences, and the learning curve had to start from scratch.

I have moved up from sticking to the packet and now vary the mixes. Sometimes this can be disastrous, but last night’s effort wasn’t, so I have shared it below. I’m starting to look forward to recipes using the different flours I’m allowed to have. When I do, I’ll share the edible results with you, too.

Ingredients:

1 x Basco Golden Butter Cake mix (from Basco Gluten Free Foods, usually found in the gluten-free section of Australian supermarkets and some health food outlets. Mine was in Woolworths, but I have seen it elsewhere.). To make up the butter cake, you will also need:

·         2 eggs

·         2/3 cup of water

·         3 tbsp of butter or polyunsaturated margerine

¼ cup of almonds, finely chopped

3 rings of pineapple, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup of mashed pumpkin (I used butternut pumpkin and had a tbsp. of mashed pumpkin left over, so I added that as well, so there is room for a little give in the recipe here. I wouldn’t add much more, though, as the cakes are quite moist with this amount.)

Method:

1.      Make the Basco Golden Butter Cake mix according to the directions on the pack.

2.      Add the almonds, pineapple, vanilla and spices and fold through the mix with a wooden spoon.

3.      Add the mashed pumpkin and fold or stir in with the wooden spoon until evenly distributed. (I added mine virtually straight out of the pot, so it was fairly warm going in; I don’t know if it would make much of a difference cold.)

4.      Place a heaped dessert-spoon full in each cup cake pan.

5.      Cook for around 20 minutes in a moderate oven (180 degrees Celsius).

Serve: hot (with icecream or cream for those not lactose intolerant), or eat cold.

Makes: around 22 cupcakes.

Notes: Cupcakes are much moister than cupcakes made straight from the mix, but they aren’t ‘gluggy’ inside. I would probably not add the extra tablespoon of mashed pumpkin next time, and I’d be tempted to increase the amount of spice. No adverse fructose malabsorption reaction from my two-and-a-half-year-old or myself. For those not intolerant to dairy, these go very well served hot with icecream, but I suspect cream would also work well. I have yet to decide if I want to add icing (frosting).

P.S. I have never visited the Basco site before, but I will now. Here’s the link: http://www.basco.com.au/. Be aware, though, that these are Coeliac-friendly recipes. Those of us with other intolerances will still have to check the ingredients. For me, that means avoiding the recipes with honey and most dried fruits, and completely avoiding anything with apple, pear or onion. Fortunately, that still leaves me a lot to play with.