Easter Bunny Carrot Cupcakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 None lemon, zested and juiced + 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 lb marzipan, coarsely grated
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp granulated sugar
4 None eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 2/3 cups ground hazelnuts
5 tbsp milk
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar + 1 tbsp
None None red and blue food coloring

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325\u00b0F. Grease and flour a 12 cup muffin pan. Sprinkle carrot with a little lemon juice and set aside. Meanwhile, cream butter and 1/3 lb marzipan with vanilla extract, 1 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt. Add eggs one by one, then fold in flour, baking powder and nuts. Add milk, lemon zest then grated carrots. Distribute batter between prepared muffin wells. Bake for 25-30 mins. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1 hour.
To decorate, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tbsp lemon juice to make a thick paste. Divide in 1/2 then add a few drops of food coloring to each 1/2, making one portion pale blue and one pink. Coat cupcakes with icing and allow to dry. Meanwhile, knead 1/4 cup marzipan with powdered sugar and some red food coloring. Form into 12 bunnies. Mix 1 tbsp powdered sugar with a drop of water, transfer to a piping bag and pipe faces onto the bunnies. Place the bunnies on top of the muffins and dust with powdered sugar.