Top mini shortbread cookie cups with a swirl of lemon curd to make these easy lemon bar cookie cups. They look as great as they taste—the tart lemon flavor pairs beautifully with the buttery shortbread cookie.
I love making my cookie cups look like cupcakes. They are so pretty. Don't you think?
These lemon cookie cups were inspired by the popularity of our easy Millionaire's Shortbread Cookie Cups which have a swirl of creamy Dulce de Leche caramel, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, and a sprinkling of toffee bits on a shortbread cookie.
A few of my friends who tried those cookies suggested I make a variety of flavors using the shortbread cookies; they all thought lemon would be perfect. After making these lemon-curd-topped cookies I have to agree.
With each bite, you will enjoy a crispy, buttery, shortbread cookie and creamy, tart lemon curd all topped with a sprinkling of sweet powdered sugar.
making shortbread cookie cups
You'll start by making shortbread cookies in mini muffin pans. It's so easy. You simply stir flour, powdered sugar, salt, and melted unsalted butter until it forms a ball.
For this recipe, I wanted the cookies to be a bit more tender than the crispy shortbread cookie recipe that I used to make the Millionaire's cookie cups. I decided to use powdered sugar in this cookie recipe instead of granulated sugar.
The baked cookies are a bit softer than those made with granulated sugar but honestly, both taste very similar so you could use ¼ cup of granulated sugar if you don't have powdered sugar on hand.
To make cookie cups you will scoop the shortbread cookie dough into mini muffin cups and bake until golden brown, then cool, remove from the pan, and top with a swirl of lemon curd.
toppings: lemon curd & powdered sugar
I used Stonewall Kitchen Lemon Curd because I like the flavor and its bright yellow color but any thick homemade or store-bought lemon curd will work in this recipe.
To make a pretty swirl of lemon curd, spoon the lemon curd into a pastry bag fitted with a large 1M open star tip. Squeeze the bag allowing the lemon curd to flow out onto the cookie cup. Then, swirl the bag as you go around the cookie. As you begin to make a second layer, stop squeezing and lift the bag away from the cookie to form a nice tip.
To dust your cookies with powdered sugar (also known as confectioners' sugar) spoon the powdered sugar into a fine mesh sieve and shake it over the cookies.
sprinkling on powdered sugar
Be sure to sprinkle the powdered sugar over your lemon-curd-topped shortbread cookies just before serving because the powdered sugar will melt into the lemon curd as it sits.
The sweetness of the confectioners' powdered sugar balances out the tart flavor of the lemon curd. It's a classic topping for lemon bars.
Plus it looks pretty too!
More lemon & citrus cookie recipes:
- lemon cake mix cookies
- Linzer cookies filled with lemon curd or jam
- lemon drop cookies
- orange drop cookies
Recipe
lemon bar cookie cups
Mini shortbread cookie cups are topped with a swirl of lemon curd. These lemon bar cookie cups are super easy to make and taste great
Ingredients
- SHORTBREAD COOKIE CUPS
- 170 grams all-purpose flour (6 ounces or 1 ⅓ cups)
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar (35 grams/1.2 ounces)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (113.5 grams/4 ounces)
- TOPPINGS
- ½ cup lemon curd (120 grams/4.23 ounces)
- 1 ½ teaspoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (178° C).
- Grease 15 cavities in a 24-cavity mini muffin tin with baking spray.
- Combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Pour the melted butter into the bowl and mix until the dough forms a ball.
- Scoop 15 tablespoon-size balls of shortbread cookie dough into the greased muffin cups.
- Press the dough into the cups flattening them into an even layer.
- Then, prick each cookie three times with a fork. This will keep your cookies from puffing up as they bake.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown around the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert the pan and gently tap the edge of the pan on the counter allowing the cookies to fall out.
- Turn the cookies right side up.
- Spoon the lemon curd into a pastry bag fitted with a large (1M) open star tip.
- Pipe a swirl of lemon curd on top of each cookie cup.
- Just before serving, dust the cookies with powdered sugar.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
If you want to freeze these lemon bar cookie cups, do so before you add the toppings. Place the shortbread cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove the cookies from the freezer the day you want to serve them and allow them to thaw on the counter for an hour before adding a swirl of lemon curd and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Weighing your ingredients.
When baking, it is always best to weigh your ingredients, particularly flour. I include measurements in grams, ounces, cups, tablespoons, or teaspoons to make it easier for you.
If you have a scale, weigh your ingredients. You'll get the most accurate measurements using grams.
How to measure flour without a scale?
If you do not have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup then scrape across the top of the cup with a spatula or knife. Do not scoop the flour directly into the measuring cup. You will end up with too much flour. We calculate 128 grams of flour per cup.
Tips for making Lemon Cookie Cups:
- If you are using aluminum mini muffin pans, be sure to grease the pans really well. You might even want to dust them with flour just to make it easier to remove the cookies from the pan.
- I suggest you use non-stick pans for easier removal. It is best to grease them as well.
- To make a pretty swirl of lemon curd on the cookie cups, spoon the lemon curd into a pastry bag fitted with a 1M large open star pastry tip. Squeeze the pastry bag allowing the soft curd to flow out into a swirl. Then, stop squeezing and lift the bag away from the cookie to form a tip.
- Pour the powdered sugar into a fine mesh sieve and shake it over the cookies to get a nice dusting of powdered sugar on top.
- The powdered sugar will melt into the lemon curd after a while so it's best to sprinkle the powdered sugar over the cookies just before you serve them.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 208Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 134mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 2g
HowToMakeEasyCookies.com offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you use to create this recipe.
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Did you make this recipe and think it was great or do have any questions? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe using stars (5 stars means you love it!)
Denise
Would these need to be refrigerated or could they be left out on a sweet table for a shower
Beth Klosterboer
You can serve them on a sweet table. I served them at a wedding and they were put out a few hours before dessert was served and they were fine.