White Chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcakes

By Love and confections

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1 cup milk + 2 teaspoons lemon juice, prepared ahead

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• green royal icing
• sugar ice cream cones

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350F. Prepare muffin tins with baking cups and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Melt chocolate according to package directions, either in microwave or double boiler. Once melted, whisk in hot water to thin chocolate.
4. In large bowl, or bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in vanilla bean paste and white chocolate.
5. Add flour and homemade buttermilk alternating, beginning and ending with the flour.
6. In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly add into cupcake batter, folding 1/3 in at at time.
7. Using a cookie scoop, portion batter into prepared muffin tin and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
8. To make frosting, cream butter until light and airy. Add powdered sugar slowly one cup at a time, alternating with milk, scraping down the sides between additions. Mix in vanilla extract then whip until light and airy. pipe onto cupcakes.
9. You can either pre-pipe the ice cream cones, or place the sugar cone onto the cupcake and pipe directly onto it after assembled. Using a small star tip, pipe green royal icing around cones to resemble a tree. Dust with powdered sugar or luster dust.

Mini Cannoli

By Love and Confections

Ingredients

• 24 homemade or pre-made mini cannoli shells
• 15 ounces ricotta, drained
• 8 ounces mascarpone
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for garnish

Instructions

1. Place ricotta in cheesecloth-lined fine sieve overnight in the refrigerator before making recipe, to drain any extra liquid.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar and mini chocolate chips. Filling can be made ahead of time and stored in airtight container up to two days. Once filled, cannoli must be eaten same day.
3. Pour chocolate chips into low dish for dipping. Place filling into piping bag and pipe into cannoli. Dip each end into the chocolate chips and place on serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Yogurt Dip

By Love and Confections

Ingredients

• 2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• garnish with chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine yogurt, cocoa, powdered sugar and vanilla. If substituting regular yogurt, increased powdered sugar might be necessary.
2. Spoon into serving dish, top with sprinkles and serve with cookies and fruit. Refrigerate for up to one day before serving.