Lemon Buttercups

Submitted by justcallmetoni

"A friend was recently recalling a cookie his mom made called a buttercup. In the version from his childhood growing up in Alabama, Jiffy pie crust mix was combined with sugar and spices and used to make a filled cookie baked in a muffin tin. With that description in mind I began my search and found several version of this cookie including one attributed to Gale Gand, a supremely wonderful baker. These look richer and more refined but just as tasty. I have not tried this recipe yet but will do so after the holidays. Note cooking time does not include chilling time."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 24

ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk
• 1⁄2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

directions

1. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix the ingredients together into a sandy, crumbly mixture. In a bowl, combine the sour cream and egg yolk until very smooth. Add to the flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together; the dough may feel a little dry. Form into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, cream the cream cheese. Add the egg, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon zest.
3. On a work surface thickly dusted with powdered sugar, roll out the pastry to a squarish or rectangular shape, 1/8-inch thick. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut into 3-inch squares. Place a teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each square. Lift up 1 square, gathering the center of the square around the filling into a cup. Hold it in the fingers of one hand. Use the fingers of your other hand to gently push the midpoints of the sides inward, so that the four corners become the points of the petals. The cookie will look like an opening flower. Place the cookie in a cup of a mini muffin pan. Repeat with the remaining squares and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake the lemon buttercups until light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Reviews

[Maito]

Yummy little gems! I filled a tart pan with the dough and then put the filling in, so they were shaped more like Recipe #270613. Baked them only 21 minutes. Delicious treats!

 

[Kittencalrecipezazz]

I chose this recipe because of the pretty picture but unfortunately the dough did not work well for me I had a hard time keeping the dough together while lifting it to shape, I used salted butter and reduced the salt to only a pinch, so that may have had something to do with it although I don't think so, with all my years of baking, I really cannot figure out what happened, I don't feel I should be rating this recipe as I changed it slightly, I am going to try the recipe again and when I do I will re-write my review on it, thanks Toni!...Kitten

 

[Stephanie Y.]

What a pretty little cookie! I had so much fun making them too. Every once in a while some of the filling would squeeze out as I tried to mold them, but they were still cute. I halved the recipe and rerolled the scraps to end up with 12 cookies. I would suggest cooking these in the bottom half of your oven so the bottoms will be cooked before the tops get too brown. These had a wonderful light flavor and I think they would be wonderful with tea. Thanks for the great recipe Toni!