Sweet Endings - Fig and Vanilla Cupcakes

Sweet Endings .. there's no better way to end a meal than with a little something extra, something sweet.  I don't make dessert every night, but Sunday dinner is always calls for a sweet ending.

Tonight it was these darling little beauties.  Fig and Vanilla Cupcakes.

I got this recipe from my wonderful little Christmas present from Catherine, my youngest.

I was a little worried about how they were going to turn out because the batter was incredibly thick. But using self rising flour made them light and delicate. 

They weren't overly sweet or overly figgy.  Yes, figgy is actually a word.  You'll find it in the Anna's Dictionary of Descriptive Words for Food or Tastes.  You'll find it on Amazon.  Not!

Before we get the recipe allow me to share.  I will recite the recipe exactly as the book states, however, I cut it in half because it makes 18 cupcakes.  It also calls for superfine sugar.  Don't go out and buy any (I couldn't find it); make your own by adding half again as much as the recipe calls for, put it in the blender and give it 5 or 6 good lengthy pulses. I made the mistake of trying to "finely chop" my figs in the blender, at first.  Don't make the same mistake; use a knife.

I hope you love these as much as I did.

Ingredients Cupcakes
1 cup (2 sticks) sweet butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup (5oz) finely chopped, dried figs

Ingredients Frosting
1 cup of cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
3 tbsp chopped fig

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees,  Place 18 baking cups in muffin pans.  Combine all the cupcake ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale, about 2 or 3 minutes.

Spoon the batter into the cups, Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove pans from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.  Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and the chopped figs with an electric mixer until soft and creamy.  Smear the cupcakes with the frosting.  

Store unfrosted in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes 18 cupcakes.