In a large bowl, zest one lemon over 1 cup of granulated sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant.
Pour the melted butter into the lemon sugar and whisk until combined.
Add 1 whole egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and the juice of the lemon. Whisk until smooth.
Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until a soft cookie dough forms.
Scoop and roll the dough into equal-sized balls, place on a baking sheet, and chill overnight.
To make the lemon crème, zest the second lemon into a bowl with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Add the 5 egg yolks and whisk together.
Gradually whisk the heavy cream into the egg yolk mixture until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens into a crème.
Remove from heat. Add the remaining unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, stirring until melted and fully incorporated.
Strain the crème through a fine-mesh sieve into a container, cover, and chill completely in the refrigerator.
Bake the chilled cookie dough balls at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes. Immediately after baking, use the back of a spoon to create an indentation in the center of each cookie. Let cool.
Transfer the chilled lemon crème to a piping bag and pipe it into the indentations of the cooled cookies.
Sprinkle an even layer of granulated sugar over the lemon crème on each cookie.
Carefully melt and caramelize the sugar on top of each cookie using a kitchen torch until golden and crispy.
Cook it hands-free.
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