Cupcake Calendar 1/30/08 Superbowl Cupcakes!

I'm glad that both teams had the same colors this year :) I split the batter in half and used blue and red coloring. The recipe says that it makes 1 dozen regular sized cupcakes. For minis, it made over 48.

The cupcake calendar recipes are from 500 Cupcakes by Fergal Conolly

Ricotta Cheesecake Cupcakes
-1 cup graham cracker crumbs
-3 tbsp margarine, melted
-2 tbsp honey
-4 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
-4 eggs
-1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
-1 tsp orange extract (I omitted)
-1/2 cup (3 1/2 ox) walnut halves (I used pecans)

-Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
-In a food processor, combine the cracker crumbs, margarine, and honey. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each cup (about 1 tsp for mini cupcakes), pressing firmly into the bottom. Chill until set.
-In a large bowl, beat the ricotta with an electric mixer until soft. Then beat in the eggs, confectioners' sugar, and orange extract. Fold in the walnuts. Spoon the mixture into the cups.
-Bake for 23 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack. Chill until ready to serve.