For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Whisk in sugar – mixture will be gritty. Whisk in egg whites, yogurt, milk or milk substitute, and vanilla bean paste until combined.
3. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick.
4. Divide batter among 12 cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

For the frosting:

1. In medium saucepan, stir together sugar, flour and salt. Whisk in cream until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until very thick, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into medium bowl; press plastic wrap over top of mixture and sides of bowl to seal completely and prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
2. In a stand mixer, beat butter at medium speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Slowly drizzle cream mixture into whipped butter and beat until smooth, scraping down bottom and sides of bowl often. Add vanilla and beat 3 more minutes, or until frosting reaches the consistency of whipped cream.
3. Remove 2/3 of the frosting and spread it into a large piping bag, fitted with a Wilton 2A tip, on one side of the bag. Set aside.
4. To the remaining frosting, add one drop of the leaf green food coloring. Whip until all the frosting is green.
5. To make the two tones frosting, you’ll need to spread the green frosting inside the pastry bag on top of the white cream, so that it is in two layers. Twist the bag and push the frosting towards the tip. Pipe some of the frosting out in a swirl until both colors have appeared. Set aside.

For the decorations:

1. At least one hour before decorating the cupcakes, melt the white chocolate in the microwave inside a microwave safe bowl, like glass, for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for an additional 30 seconds. Keep stirring and microwaving in short bursts of 15-20 seconds until melted and smooth. Use can alternatively use a double boiler for melting. Repeat for the red candy melts and transfer them into a small pastry bag. Cut a small amount of the tip off the end.
2. Pipe the red candy melts as lines mimicking peppermint candy swirls inside the round molds. Then pour the white chocolate over the red and, using a toothpick, swirl the two together. Refrigerate about 45 minutes to an hour. Then pop out the candies and set aside.
3. Take the 3/4″ cutter and press firmly into the center of the cupcake. Twist and lift the cutter to remove the center. Repeat for all the cupcakes. Save the insides for cake pops, or eat them if you wish!
4. Fill each center of the cupcake with 6 red and green M&M’s candy. Set aside and repeat with the other cupcakes.
5. Next, pipe out a swirl of frosting on each cupcake, and then sprinkle the edible silver stars on top. Place red and white sugar pearls on the frosting.
   
6. Finally, place a peppermint inspired white chocolate (or real peppermint if you choose) on the cupcake. Enjoy!