MORGAN'S BAKING IN MAINE

When life gives you lemons...the story goes, you should make lemonade, but I'd make just about anything I could with those tart yellow fruits! I am in love with almost anything lemon.
I've traveled from Houston, Texas to the back woods of Maine to spend Thanksgiving with my family. This is the first time in ten years that I've celebrated my favorite holiday with my mom.
So, to keep warm, I spent my afternoon in the kitchen. I found these sweet little treats on the website that seems to be taking over so many lives, Pinterest.com. This was the first time I've ever made Lemon Curd, as well. A terrible name for such a wonderful taste of pure lemon. I am quite pleased with myself. I hope y'all enjoy just as much as we, The 'Wednesday' Baker has!
These cookies are cute, sweet, tart, and bite sized. They would be great for any kind of party, a simple dessert, or truly any time you're craving something with a nice lemon flavor.    The Wednesday Baker's daughter, Morgan

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups
barbarabakes

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup lemon curd (recipe below)
powdered sugar for dusting


Lemon Curd (Make this a few hours before cookies or even the day before)

6 tbsp of butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice  (about 3 lemons average size)
1 tsp grated lemon zest

1. In a medium size bowl, beat the butter and sugar with your hand mixer for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat this for 1 minutes then mix in the lemon juice. It may appear curdled, don't worry it will be fine when its starts cooking.

2. Pour this mixture into a medium, heavy saucepan, cook over low heat until it appears smooth. The curdled look will disappear as the butter is melting. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and about 170 degrees on a instant read thermometer.

3. Remove the curd from the heat, stir in the lemon zest. Pour the mixture into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on top of curd to help a skin from forming. Chill the curd for about 1 hour or longer. This will keep for one week in the refrigerator and about 2 months in the freezer.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a bowl combine the flours, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar and whisk these together. Set aside.

2. In a larger bowl, cream the butter and sugars til light and fluffy. Add the oil, egg and both extracts. Mix this together then gradually add the flour and mix at low speed until combined.

3. Lightly grease your mini muffin pans and use a small ice cream cookie scoop ( about 1 Tbsp of dough) and place in each muffin tin. Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. Then remove from oven and using the handle of a wooden spoon make a indent in the center of each cookie. Make the indent about 1/2 inch wide. Fill each center with lemon curd and place back in the oven and continue to cook for about 4 minutes. Just watch so you don't over cook them. You want them to light brown. Remove to a cooling rack. When cool dust the edges with confectioners' sugar.

Barbara gave instructions for high altitude adjustments. she added 2 tbsp flour, reduced the baking soda to 1/4 tsp and reduce the sugar by 1 tbsp.
Morgan got 53 cookie cups. 



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