Oh how I love anything Gingerbread!!!

So I've been looking around and trying to figure out what gingerbread recipes I want to try and I want to try all of them!! Next week I'll have plenty of personal kitchen time, so I'll have a few of my own, but for now, you'll have to settle with Martha Stewart, who is my favorite by the way. And everyone loves cupcakes!!

Gingerbread Cupcakes:

2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup unsulphered molasses
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 10 jumbo muffin tins with paper baking cups, and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
2.In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light. Beat in the brown sugar until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in the eggs.
3.Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cupcakes cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Butter Glaze:

Makes 1 1/2 cups, or enough for 10 large cupcakes
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons milk
Directions
1.Place 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Remove the pan from heat; immediately pour the melted butter into the bowl with the sugar. Add 4 teaspoons milk; whisk until mixture is smooth. Working quickly, dip the top of each cupcake into the glaze, and place cupcake right-side up on a wire rack.
2.Repeat step 1; glaze remaining cupcakes. Allow glaze to set, about 20 minutes, before decorating.