Cream Scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Strawberry preserves, for serving
• Softly whipped cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until largest pieces are the size of small peas.
3. Using a fork, whisk together the cream and eggs in a large glass measuring cup. Make a well in the center of flour mixture, and pour in cream mixture. Stir lightly with fork just until the dough comes together (do not overmix).
4. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, gently pat dough into an 8-inch circle, about 3/4-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 wedges. Separate wedges slightly. Brush tops with cream, and sprinkle with sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet and bake scones until golden brown, 16 to 20 minutes. Transfer scones to wire racks, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with strawberry preserves and whipped cream.

Variations:

• Currants: Add 3/4 cup dried currants after you cut in the butter.
• Cranberry-white chocolate: Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips after you cut in the butter.
• Lemon-blueberry: Add 1/2 cup fresh or dried blueberries after you cut in the butter, as well as 1 tsp. lemon zest or 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract with the liquid ingredients.
• Strawberry oat: Add 1/2 cup dried or fresh chopped strawberries and 1/2 cup rolled oats after you cut in the butter. After you brush the tops of the scones with cream, press on more oats and then sprinkle on the sugar.

Snowskin Mooncakes

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of glutinous rice flour for coating

Creamy custard filling

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons custard powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons cake flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 eggs, or 1 large egg + another yolk (whisked)

Wrapper

• 1/3 cup glutinous rice flour
• 1/3 cup rice flour (water milled version)
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoosns granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. Make creamy custard filling: In a small pot over slowest heat, dissolve sugar with milk.
2. Sift all the flours and custard powder quickly. Stir to combine well. Add egg and butter in. Keep stirring forcefully in the whole process to combine everything and avoid caking. Heat until the mixture becomes very thick and form a paste texture. Remove from fire and keep stirring for several minutes until it becomes fine and smooth.
3. Transfer out, cool down and cover with plastic wrapper. Refrigerate for several hours until hardened so you can shape the filling easily.
4. Make the wrapper: Combine milk, sugar and oil well and then mix with flour, rice flour and glutinous rice flour.
5. Strain once and set aside for 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrappers and steam over high fire for around 30 minutes until it becomes slightly transparent. Transfer out and stir with chop stickers forcefully for several minutes until fine and smooth. Transfer to a plate and cover with plastic wrapper. Knead with both hands for several minutes until the surface becomes oily. (This is really important to have a soft taste wrapper, so do not skip this). Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before assembling the snow skin mooncake.
6. Make coating flour: In a fry pan, stir fry raw glutinous rice flour on medium low heat until the flour turns light yellow. Remove it from the heat. Set aside to cool down.
7. Assemble: Measure each wrapper around 20 grams and filling 30 grams. And then shape both of wrapper and filling to balls.
8. Prepare the dusting flour, filling, wrapper and mooncake stamp. Assemble the mooncake stamp well and then dust with flour. Shake off extra flour and set aside.
9. Wrap the filling with wrapper and seal completely. And then shape to a ball firstly and further to an oval. Place the oval to stamp (unsealed side first), flat with bottom with fingers; push the shaping tool to stamp the flowers. Then demold carefully. If you find the mooncake is sticky on the stamp, use the other hand to help separating.

Notes

• Those snow skin mooncakes need to be stored in airtight wrapper or container separately; otherwise, the surface will dry out. The best enjoying time is the next day after assembling.
• If you want to frozen them, they can be frozen up to 1 week but move to refrigerating area several hours before serving until they are soft back.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups extra fine granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Directions

1. (To make the meringue, you’ll need a stand mixer and a 2 quart saucepan filled with about 2 cups of water.) Bring the water to a simmer, and place the egg whites and sugar in the mixing bowl. 
2. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk the mixture until it reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are concerned about egg safety, you can use pasteurized egg whites from a carton or carefully heat the mixture to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. (Just be careful that the water in the saucepan doesn’t start to boil or else the egg whites will cook.) 
3. Once the egg white and sugar mixture reaches 140 degrees (or 160, if desired), put the bowl on the mixer with the whip attachment and mix the egg whites on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to high speed and let it run until the bowl is cool to the touch. Remove the whip attachment and replace with the paddle. Turn the mixer on medium speed and add the butter, about 1/4 stick at a time. (Make sure the butter is very soft. You don’t want to end up with chunky butter cream.) Add the salt and vanilla bean seeds/vanilla extract. Switch back to the whip attachment and mix on high until the butter cream is fluffy. At first it will look lumpy and separated, but keep on whipping and it will come together.
4. Store the icing in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. Before using the icing, let it come to room temperature and then re-whip it on the mixer to bring it back to life. Use as desired.

**You can also make this recipe using a basic hand mixer, it will just take a longer time to come together.

Margarita Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature preferred
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• Zest + fresh juice of 3 medium limes (about 1/4 cup juice)
• 2 Tablespoons tequila (optional)

Tequila Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3-4 Tablespoons tequila
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lime extract or lime oil, (optional)
• Candied lime slices, lime zest, and/or margarita salt for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
4. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add some of the dry ingredients alternating with some of the milk until all is mixed. Increase to high speed and beat in the lime zest and juice until incorporated. Try to avoid overmixing.
5. Pour/spoon the batter into the liners (fill only 1/2 - 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides). Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While still warm, brush finished cupcakes with tequila. This infuses extra tequila flavor. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
6. Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, beating on low at first then increasing to high speed. Once incorporated, add the next cup. Once creamy and combined, beat in the tequila, vanilla extract, and lime flavoring on high speed. Taste. Add more flavoring as needed.
7. Frost cooled cupcakes. Garnish with candied lime slices or lime zest, (or sprinkle with a little margarita salt right before serving), if desired.

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

Ingredients

• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 12 Oreo cookies
• Crushed Oreos for topping

Directions

1. Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and eggs until well combined. 
2. Line a muffin tin with paper liners (white looks the cutest), and place a whole Oreo at the bottom of each liner. Top with cheesecake mixture and crumbled Oreos (you can mix them into the cheesecake if you prefer). 
3. Bake at 275 degrees F for 22 min. Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, leaving the cheesecakes in the muffin tin. Remove them from the muffin tin right before serving
4. Yields 12 mini cheesecakes.

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

• 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• Rainbow sprinkles, for decorating

Directions

1. Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cavity cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt, and mix together on low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer on low, add the butter, a few cubes at a time, continuing until all the butter has been added and the mixture resembles coarse sand.
3. Keeping the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Slowly pour in the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, until batter is smooth, scraping the sides of bowl as needed. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the sprinkles.
4. Fill the liners two-thirds full (about 1/4 cup of batter) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Make the Frosting: Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
6. Frost the cupcakes as desired and garnish with additional sprinkles. Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
7. Yields 24 cupcakes.