Description
Zesty lemon bar cookie cups bring sunshine to dessert tables with a playful twist on classic citrus treats. Creamy filling nestled in buttery cookie shells creates a mouthwatering experience you’ll want to savor until the last delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups (160g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar (for cookie base)
- ½ cup (120ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar (for lemon filling)
Secondary Ingredients:
- 1 large egg (for cookie base)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Finishing Ingredient:
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour (for lemon filling)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Craft the foundation for these delicate dessert vessels by heating the oven to 350F (175C), meticulously preparing a 12-cup muffin tin with a light coating of grease.
- Create the cookie base by whipping softened butter and sugar until airy and voluminous, then incorporate egg and vanilla, blending until harmonious.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate vessel, gradually folding these dry elements into the creamy mixture until just integrated.
- Transform the dough into petite spheres, gently nestling each into the muffin wells, pressing to form delicate cups with centered indentations.
- Dispatch the muffin tin to the oven, allowing the cookie shells to transform for 10-12 minutes until edges acquire a golden hue, using a spoon to delicately flatten any unexpected rising.
- Meanwhile, compose the vibrant lemon filling by whisking together zesty lemon juice, fragrant zest, sugar, eggs, and flour until achieving a silky, uniform consistency.
- Carefully ladle the citrusy mixture into each golden cookie shell, filling just shy of the rim.
- Return to the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes, awaiting the moment when the filling sets with a gentle wobble.
- Allow the cookie cups to cool completely within the tin, then crown with a delicate snowfall of powdered sugar before presenting these luminous treats.
Notes
- Ensure butter is at room temperature for smooth creaming, preventing lumpy dough and ensuring even mixing.
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the most vibrant, bright citrus flavor that makes these cookie cups sing.
- When pressing dough into muffin cups, use the back of a rounded measuring spoon to create uniform, neat wells without tearing the delicate cookie base.
- For gluten-free variation, swap all-purpose flour with a one-to-one gluten-free baking blend, maintaining the same tender texture and delicious taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg