It has been a lonnngggg time since I’ve stood in my kitchen with the oven on, mixing bowls littering the counter and ingredients flying around. But today is a special day. It is the first day in many many months that I have had all to myself and I do not have to run off to work.

It is scary having downtime, what do you do? Sleep all day?

I have a hard time doing nothing. It can be a downfall and usually a stint at the cottage sets me right. Well today was sort of like a cottage day. I did my coffee run, posted my daily blog, replied to emails and did general “administrative” activities (I just wanted to use the word administrative, it sounds so…important).

I was trying my best to relax when I remembered that I’d been given a gingerbread cupcake mix at Christmas.

I didn’t start with the cupcake mix like one would expect. No, I decided that chocolate chip cookies would be fun to make first.

With the cookies out of the way I could concentrate on this much more complex task of cupcakes. I got the mix all together and ready to put in the oven when I decided to taste the batter.

It was gingerbread but a little like cardboard gingerbread.

Oh well they were in the muffin tins now and there was no going back.

But how to make these cardboard cupcakes taste better?

Well for whatever reason I have a package of Philadelphia cream cheese in my refrigerator. I am not sure what it was doing in there. Hmmm.

I look up a recipe online for Cream Cheese Icing and I find one on the Kraft foods website. It looks simple but I am a little worried about the word “gradually”. I like to dump all the ingredients in at once, turn the mixer to high (kind of like Amelia Bedelia) and let it whirl but this recipe is very specific.

Gradually turned out to be exactly what I envisioned. A sore arm from holding the mixer and keeping the flying icing sugar to a minimum.

The good news is I have a full batch of wonderful Cream Cheese “frosting” (as the website calls it). It is delicious. In fact it is so delicious that I no longer want to add it to the tops of the cardboard tasting gingerbread cupcakes.

I have put it in the fridge and well perhaps I’ll use it to frost my chocolate chip cookies!

The best Cream Cheese Frosting recipe (I’ve only tried one so who knows there may be a better one just don’t tell Kraft foods.)

1 Package of softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese (250g)
1/4 cup of softened saltless butter
1 tsp. of vanilla
1 package of powdered sugar (16 oz. or 4 cups)

BEAT cream cheese, butter and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended.
ADD sugar gradually, beating after each addition until well blended.

Note
Recipe makes enough to fill and frost 2 (8- or 9-inch) cake layers.

That is right folks enough frosting for 2 cakes!! My cookies are going to be smothered in frosting and my arteries feel clogged just thinking about it…

What is your favourite recipe?