Method (cookies)

1. Add the caster sugar into a bowl, along with the lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the lemon into the sugar.
2. Cream the butter, drop of yellow food gel and lemon sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. This can either be done using a stand mixer and paddle attachment or in a bowl with a hand whisk / spatula. Sift in the flour and mix into a thick dough. Transfer the dough into plastic wrap or baking paper and chill in the fridge for at least 40 minutes -1 hour to firm up.
3. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C fan and line a baking tray with grease proof paper.
4. Once the dough is chilled and firm to the touch, roll out to approximately  1/2 inch thickness on a heavily floured work surface (this prevents the dough from sticking). Cut into shapes using a oval / lemon shape cookie cutter. Place the shapes on the lined baking tray.
5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown at the edges. You can even turn the tray half way through to ensure an even baking.
6. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat until all the cookies are baked.
7. Allow to cool before adding in the cream filling, or it may melt.

Method (cream filling)

1. In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter and cream cheese, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
2. Add in the icing sugar, lemon extract and lemon zest, whip to combine. Whip for 5 minutes on high speed until the buttercream becomes pale and fluffy in texture. If it’s too thick add in a splash of dairy-free milk to get it to the right consistency. It should be thick and creamy.
3. Transfer the buttercream in to a piping bag fitted with a medium sized round tip nozzle.
4. Dip the tops of half the cookies in some caster sugar. Pipe cream to half of the cookies, and place a sugar coated cookie on top to sandwich.
5. Add in a mint leaf for decoration.
6. Serve and enjoy!