Buttercups Food

BUTTERCUPS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. Divide dough in half; wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or until easy to handle., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. scalloped cookie cutter. Cut a 1-in. hole in the centers of half of the cookies with a floured cutter. , Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; gradually add confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough water to achieve a spreading consistency. , Spread on the bottoms of the solid cookies; top with remaining cookies. Place 1/2 teaspoon preserves in the center of each.

HOMEMADE SUNFLOWER BUTTER CUPS

Steps:

• Make the chocolate layer: Gently melt the chocolate in a double boiler (a fitted bowl over a pot of simmering water), stirring the sides with a spatula so the chocolate does not stick or scorch on the edges.
• Spread 8 to 10 cupcake liners (or 12 to 16 small ones) on a baking sheet and spoon a thin layer of chocolate in the bottom of each, 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. (This should use half of the melted chocolate. Keep the remaining chocolate warm over warm water.) Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 15 to 20 minutes and up to 4 hours to allow the chocolate to set up.
• Make the "butter" layer: Drain the excess oil off the top of the sunflower butter. Add the sunflower butter (or cinnamon cookie butter) to a medium bowl. Sift the confectioners' sugar (use 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar if using cookie butter, or 1/2 cup if using sunflower butter) over the top of the butter and fully combine using a rubber spatula. Roll the butter into tablespoon-sized balls for the large cups, or teaspoon-sized balls for the small cups. Flatten gently between your palms. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place the flattened butter patties on top of the chocolate, pressing down lightly. Tap the tray on the counter a few times to help flatten the layers. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
• Remove the baking sheet from the fridge, then gently press any uneven layers down and spoon the remaining melted chocolate over the butter layer on all of the candies. Refrigerate until it hardens, at least 1 hour and preferably up to 12 hours. Keep refrigerated and wrapped in plastic if serving the next day. (If using white chocolate, store finished treats in the freezer.)

LEMON BUTTERCUPS

Steps:

• In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or using your fingers, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using your fingertips, pinch the ingredients together into a sandy, crumbly mixture. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the sour cream and egg yolk until very smooth. Add 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. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest. On a work surface thickly dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll out the pastry to a squarish or rectangular shape, 1/8-inch thick. Using the tip of a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut into 3 by 3-inch squares. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square. Lift up one 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 4 corners become the points of the petals. The cookie will look like a flower that is opening. Place the cookie in a mini muffin cup. Repeat with the remaining squares and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake until light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.