Danish butter cookie cupcakes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
2. Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla paste and then the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the flour and milk a little at a time until just combined, then stir through the salt. Fill the cases to around ¾ full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, then cool completely on a wire rack.
3. For the butter cookie butter, place the butter cookie crumbs in a small food processor and process to a fine powder. Add the butter, cream and salt and process to a smooth butter. You can add extra cream or milk if necessary. This will make more cookie butter than you need for this recipe, but it freezes well for another time.
4. For the icing, using an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and 150 g butter cookie butter until smooth. Add the icing sugar and mix on low speed until the icing sugar is incorporated, then increase the speed and beat until fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe onto the cupcakes. Top each cupcake with an extra whole butter cookie and a little pearl sugar.