SWEETS BY HOLLY RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with silicone baking mats and have rolling pin at hand. Add egg whites to medium bowl and whisk in sugar until frothy, about 1 minute. Sift in flour, then add vanilla and stir with fork. Add butter and food coloring to combine. Cover and refrigerate 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make stencils: Trace holly leaf cookie cutter (for leaves) onto heavy piece of paper and carefully cut out shape, keeping stencil intact. Working with 1 at a time, lay stencils on baking mat and spoon Tbsp of mixture into center. Spread very thinly using offset spatula, then carefully remove stencil. Repeat 5 more times per cookie sheet. Bake until just starting to turn golden at edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately remove from oven. Carefully drape cookies over rolling pin and allow to cool before transferring to wire rack. Repeat with remaining cookie batter. Line small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly brush cranberries with corn syrup and roll in granulated sugar. Transfer to prepared sheet until dry, at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours Heat oven to 350ºF. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Using electric mixer, mix together sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter and beat on low speed 1 minute until combined and fully incorporated. Add eggs and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in milk and vanilla (batter may look curdled). Add flour and mix until just combined.  Spoon scant 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup, filling about 2/3 full. Bake until wooden pick inserted in centers of comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  To decorate: Transfer buttercream to piping bag fitted with star tip; pipe buttercream in spiral to cover tops of cupcakes. Add candied cranberries to centers as berries, then place tuiles to resemble leaves.