Happy Birthday Lemon Cupcakes

A friend's birthday was this past Tuesday. I wanted to bake her some sort of dessert & decided on cupcakes...lemon macadamia cupcakes from VCTOTW to be exact. Instead of macadamia nuts, I used brazil nuts instead & also added white chocolate chips. These cupcakes tasted very light, refreshing & fluffy. Since this was my first time baking these, I was hesitant to use a lot of nuts & chocolate chips, but the amounts will definitely be increased next time. The recipe called for grounded nuts, but I don't have a peanut grinder, nor did I want to spend a lot of time finely chopping the nuts, so I just used my coffee grinder instead. I guess the food processor would have completed the job nicely. The grounded nuts added lumpiness to the batter, but I liked the miscellaneous surprise crunch throughout the cupcakes.

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Lemon Brazil Nut Cupcakes
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup soy yogurt
1/3 cup rice milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
lemon zest, 1 large lemon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup brazil nuts, grounded (macadmia nuts)

1 cup + 2 tlbspn AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup brazil nuts, chopped (macadmia nuts)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line 11 - 12 muffin tins.
• In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: oil, yogurt, rice milk, lemon juice, zest, sugar & extract. Add the grounded brazil nuts.
  
• In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda, powder & salt.
• In two batches, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
  
• Fold in chopped nuts & white chocolate chips.
  
• Scoop & divide into lined tins about three-quarters full.
  
• Bake for 20 - 22 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
  
• Made 11 cupcakes for me. Transfer to cooling rack & cool completely before frosting.
  

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Simple Frosting
2 tblspn butter
2 tblspn vegetable shortening
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract or lemon extract (optional)

• In a medium bowl, beat the butter & shortening till thoroughly combined.
  
• Slowly sift in powdered sugar in batches & beat well.
  
• Add extract, if desired and beat till light & fluffy.
  
• Continue adding sugar to taste & preferred texture.
  
• Refridgerate & use when ready. Frost completely cooled cupcakes.