Mouthwatering Lemon Bar Cookie Cups: A Zesty Dessert You Can’t Resist

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Cookie Cups:

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

For the Lemon Filling:

• ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Powdered sugar (for dusting)

How to Make Lemon Bar Cookie Cups

Step 1: Prepare the Cookie Dough

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a mini muffin tin.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.
5. Combine Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Step 2: Form the Cookie Cups

6. Shape Dough: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them into each cavity of the prepared mini muffin tin.
7. Create Indentations: Use your thumb or the back of a spoon to press a small indentation in the center of each dough ball, creating a cup shape.
8. Bake: Bake the cookie cups for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 3: Make the Lemon Filling

9. Whisk Filling Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, granulated sugar, eggs, and melted butter until smooth and well combined.
10. Cook the Filling: Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and let the lemon curd cool slightly.

Step 4: Assemble the Lemon Bar Cookie Cups

11. Fill the Cups: Once the cookie cups have cooled, spoon the lemon curd filling into each cup, filling them to the top.
12. Chill: Place the filled cookie cups in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the filling to set.
13. Dust with Powdered Sugar: Before serving, dust the tops of the lemon bar cookie cups with powdered sugar for a beautiful finish.