Brrr! It's cold out. Comfort foods are in season especially in winter; plus hot drinks like tea are good for keeping you warm. Whiskey has been known to knock off, so why not combine with a hot toddy. A hot toddy is a beverage with tea and whiskey. Hot toddy is a nice sipping beverage which has long been considered to be a good cold remedy for good for adults. They also taste good.
The traditional Scottish preparation of a hot toddy involves the mixture of whiskey, boiling water and sugar or honey. Honey is preferred since it can soothe your throat. The additional ingredients of a hot toddy include whole cloves, a lemon slice or a cinnamon stick. 
Hot toddy cupcakes are a great way to incorporate a little booze into your cupcakes.

If you have any qualms about baking with whiskey, then think of it as like a much stronger vanilla extract. The alcohol content of vanilla extract is 35%, but is considered to be food so it is regulated by the FDA. Besides, most of the alcohol is burned off during, but the flavor remains.

What I like about hot toddy cupcakes is that the spices compliment the whiskey well. You can also substitute the whiskey for either bourbon or rum. Also, you can garnish with lemon peel or an apple slice. 

 

The recipe below is adapted from the blog Squirrelly Girl Bakes.

Ingredients

• Hot Toddy Cupcakes
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup whiskey
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Honey Buttercream Ingredients
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• Candied Ginger

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 18 minutes

• Total Time: 38 minutes
• Yield: 12

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves together. Set aside. Zest the lemons into a bowl, add the sugar and whisk to combine. You should be blasted with a wonderful lemony aroma. Beat the eggs for 1 minute in the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the sugar/zest mixture and mix an additional 2-3 minutes until thick and frothy.

Add the oil and lemon extract, and beat until combined. Alternate the dry ingredients and milk and whiskey (adding the whiskey before the final addition of the dry) and beat until combined. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter between wrappers in cupcake tins and bake for 18 minutes. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick in the center. Let cool completely on a wire rack. For the honey buttercream frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup of sugar, beating until combined. Add the honey.
Finally, add the remaining sugar gradually and whip until light and fluffy, using cream as needed for texture and consistency. Use a piping bag to pipe frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish with some candied ginger.  I personally like candied ginger from Verdant Kitchen, a small batch ginger company based in Savannah, Georgia.