Lemon Cookie Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 175C (350F). Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.

Add butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to mix until well combined. Add lemon zest, egg, egg yolk, lemon juice, lemon extract, vanilla extract and yellow food gel (optional). Mix until well combined,

Slowly add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl and mix on low speed until well combined.

Roll out 20 1 tbsp sized cookie dough balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking tray and flatten slightly using your fingers. Bake for 10 min. Allow to cool completely

Add chocolate and cream to a large microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mixing each time until smooth. Add yellow food gel and lemon flavouring and mix. Transfer to a piping bag.

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 140°C (275°F) or a conventional oven to 160°C (320°F). Line two cupcake tins with the cupcake liners.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer until well combined.

Next, add the softened butter and mix on low speed until the mixture reaches a crumbly, sand-like texture.

Add the eggs, milk, oil, yoghurt and lemon flavouring, yellow food gel, lemon zest, and mix on low speed until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down the side of the bowl and mix for a final 20 seconds. It’s at this point that you can add any flavourings or food-gel colourings to the batter.

Fill each liner three-quarters of the way. Using an ice-cream scoop to transfer the batter to the cupcake liners makes this a quick and easy process, and ensures each liner contains exactly the same amount of batter and that the cupcakes will bake evenly. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Core the centre of each cupcake and fill with lemon drizzle.

Fit the end of a piping bag with a Wilton 6b piping tip and frost a double donut swirl of frosting on each cupcake. Drizzle with lemon drizzle before finishing with a cookie in the frosting.