Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting

These simple gingerbread cupcakes are light and tender and topped with a flavorful orange buttercream frosting!

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and got to spend some time relaxing with family and friends. This is my first post of 2018, one that I had hoped to have done much sooner. The holidays were so busy and this past week was absolutely nuts at work. I feel like I didn't have much time to breathe! The last few weeks I've really been reflecting on this past year and wanted to share a little bit with you. 

I had much success and many wonderful opportunities in 2017. Cooking, baking, sharing my recipes with you, connecting with and building relationships with some wonderful brands. I went on a few amazing trips and got to meet new friends and see old friends as well. If you follow me on social media then you may have seen my posts about my trip to Cleveland with the American Dairy Association Mideast back in October. It was definitely one of the highlights of my year and I had so much fun learning, playing, and eating tons of good food!

Gingerbread Scones with Cinnamon Glaze

These cinnamon glazed Gingerbread Scones are simple, delicious, and pair perfectly with your morning coffee or tea! 

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

#SplendaHoliday #CollectiveBias

I'm in full power baking mode over here. I've been in my kitchen just about every day whipping up some tasty treats for the holidays. Between cookies and candies and breads of all kind, I've been a busy lady! I'm looking forward to sharing everything I've made with family and friends this holiday season. (And to getting it out of my kitchen so I can stop eating it all!)

Since there have been so many desserts lingering around, I decided to make something special for breakfast. These Gingerbread Scones with Cinnamon Glaze are perfect any day of the week, but they would make a very festive and delicious Christmas morning breakfast.

Gingerbread Waffles

One of my favorite parts of the holidays is making big holiday breakfasts. On both Thanksgiving and Christmas, I make a huge spread for breakfast, then later we have our holiday dinner. We really only eat two meals on both of those days, with snacks in between if we get hungry.

Each year I try something different for breakfast. From pancakes to casseroles to waffles, I love exploring new things. And no one ever leaves the table hungry.

A few years ago my mom bought me an All Clad Belgian Waffle Maker. It has to be one of my favorite toys in the kitchen. I love the fact that it makes 4 waffles at once, so it saves time. And the flavors and combinations of waffles are simply endless. 

I was contemplating about what kind of new waffle to make for our Holiday Recipe challenge, and I just knew that gingerbread would be perfect. Gingerbread is synonymous with the holidays, and would make a fabulous breakfast for any winter special occasion.