Description
Zesty lemon bar cookie cups bring sunshine to dessert tables with their perfect balance of tangy and sweet. Crisp cookie shells cradle silky lemon filling, promising a delightful escape that leaves you craving another bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Mains:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
Crust and Dry Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Filling and Flavor:
- 1/2 cup lemon curd
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare the muffin tin by lightly greasing each cavity and heating the oven to 350F (175C).
- Create a crumbly dough by thoroughly mixing flour, powdered sugar, salt, and softened butter until it forms a cohesive texture.
- Gently shape the dough into small, uniform balls using your hands, ensuring consistent size for even baking.
- Press each dough ball into the muffin tin, carefully molding them to create shallow cookie cups with thin, even walls.
- Bake the cookie cups for 12-15 minutes until the edges turn a delicate golden brown and the surface looks set.
- While the cups are baking, whisk together lemon curd, granulated sugar, eggs, and lemon zest in a separate bowl until the mixture becomes completely smooth and well-integrated.
- Remove the partially baked cookie cups from the oven and carefully pour the lemon mixture into each cup, filling them about three-quarters full.
- Return the filled cookie cups to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, allowing the lemon filling to set and become slightly firm.
- Remove from the oven and let the lemon bar cookie cups cool completely in the tin to ensure they maintain their shape.
- Gently remove the cooled cups from the muffin tin and serve at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Precision matters when pressing dough into muffin tin, ensuring even thickness for consistent baking and a perfect cup shape.
- Use room temperature ingredients to create smoother, more evenly mixed dough that holds its shape better during baking.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with almond or coconut flour, which adds delightful nutty undertones.
- Zesting lemons directly over the mixing bowl helps capture maximum citrus oils, intensifying the bright, tangy flavor profile of the dessert.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22-25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 237 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 58 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg