Description
Creamy lemon bar cookie cups offer a zesty twist on classic desserts. Buttery cookie bases cradle tangy lemon filling, creating an irresistible treat you’ll savor with pure culinary joy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (473 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preparation: Warm the oven to 350°F (175°C) and configure a standard muffin tin with light grease or cupcake liners to prevent sticking.
- Cookie Base Creation: Blend softened butter and sugar until fluffy, incorporating vanilla extract. Fold in flour and salt, forming a smooth, slightly crumbly dough that holds together effortlessly.
- Molding Cookie Cups: Distribute dough evenly across muffin cavities, using fingertips to shape delicate cup structures with intentional indentations along sides and bottom, ensuring uniform thickness.
- Initial Baking Phase: Slide the muffin tin into the preheated oven, baking 12-15 minutes until cookie edges transform to a golden-honey hue, signaling partial completion.
- Lemon Filling Composition: Whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a separate bowl, creating a vibrant, smooth mixture that promises tangy brightness.
- Filling and Final Baking: Extract partially baked cookie cups, generously fill three-quarters with lemon mixture, then return to oven for 15-18 minutes until filling sets completely without wobbling.
- Cooling and Finishing: Allow cookie cups to cool entirely within the tin, maintaining structural integrity. Once cooled, carefully extract and dust generously with powdered sugar for an elegant, inviting presentation.
Notes
- Butter Temperature Matters: Use room temperature butter for smoother, more even mixing and a perfect cookie cup texture.
- Precise Filling Technique: Press dough gently into muffin cups, creating thin, even walls to ensure delicate, crisp cookie shells.
- Avoid Overmixing Dough: Mix flour just until combined to prevent tough, dense cookie cups that lose their delicate crumbly texture.
- Lemon Zest Boost: Use fresh lemon zest for intense citrus flavor; microplane graters work best for fine, fragrant zest distribution.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 45 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg