Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Ingredients

• For the Cupcake
• 3/4 C white sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 C flour
• 1/3 C lemon juice
• For the Frosting
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 C white sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 lemonade girl scout cookies, crumbled up (optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake tin with liners of your choice.
2. In a bowl, whisk together all of your dry ingredients. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together your sugar and butter, add in your lemon extract and your eggs one at a time. Once that is combined, alternate your dry ingredients with your lemon juice until you have a smooth mixture. Blast it for 20 seconds and then scrape with a rubber spatula. Fill your liners and bake for 20-22 minutes – until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. For your frosting: Gather all of your ingredients in a large heatproof bowl and place it over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the water is not high enough in the pot to where it would touch the bottom of your bowl. Using a hand held electric mixer, beat your egg whites, sugar, vanilla and salt for exactly seven minutes. It should be glossy and very voluminous.
5. To get the chard look, you can use a kitchen torch or use a candle lighter (but be VERY careful).
6. Top with half a girl scout lemonade cookie and serve!