So here’s the deal. Cupcakes. We’ve seen em, we’ve eaten them, we’ve cursed them. They are a pain in the rear and take forever and they are overkill most of the time. Never mind that they aren’t cheap to make if you do them well with buttercream and the whole shebang.

And don’t get me started about tarts. Pie crust dough is finicky and you have to roll it and trim it. Sure you can buy those pre-made ones but everyone knows you cheated when you do – you might as well just buy the whole tart. Right? Give me a slice of full sized pie any day.

You guys, cookie cups are the freaking answer to our baked goods conundrums. They are the new wave in cute individualized sweetness delivery systems. Cookie. Cups.

You can do these with pretty much any type of cookie dough. I used shortbread for this recipe because it’s more Christmasy but you could do chocolate chip, peanut butter, whatever you desire.

What you do is this: Get a muffin tin and spray it with non-stick spray. Take 2 tbsp of dough and roll it into a ball and drop it in the cup. Use a bit more dough if you want a deep cup – mine are shallow because I filled them with ganache and that is delectable but heavy stuff. I didn’t want too much in each serving. Then bake your dough as you normally would but pull it out before it starts to brown. About 10-12 min. Grab a shot glass or a toothpick container or spice container and press it into the soft, hot dough until it forms up the sides and makes a cup. Return to the oven to brown around the edges just slightly. Let cool before you pop them out. EASY.

Here’s the recipe for these ganache filled beauties.

Shortbread cookie cups with mint chocolate filling!

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Fill these in a myriad of ways to suit every special occasion!

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Ingredients

• Cookie Cups
• 1 cup softened butter
• ¾ cup powdered icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups sifted flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Filling
• 1 cup mint chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

In a large bowl, with a hand mixer beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and on low, mix to incorporate. The dough will be crumbly but will stick together if you squeeze it with your hands. Dump dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a disk or log. Place in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 30 min. 60 min is better.

Roll 2 tbsp of dough into balls and drop into a muffin tin that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min. Remove from oven and while the dough is still hot, create impressions by pressing a round bottomed object (like a shot glass) into the dough. Return to the oven to finish cooking about 2-5 more min. Allow to cool before removing from the muffin tin.

When your cookies have cooled, make the filling by pouring chips and cream into a microwave safe bowl. Zap 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate has melted. Stir until the mixture is combined and creamy. Fill the cups with the warm ganache mixture either with a spoon or by pouring the filling into a piping (or zipper) bag.

Top with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or if you wish to avoid nuts, use something crunchy like crushed candy.

Refrigerate until the filling is firm. Serve.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 310

I dusted these shortbread cookie cups with a bit of powdered sugar but that’s mainly because things dusted with powdered sugar look nice in photos. It makes no difference to the flavour of these if you do or don’t dust them. Do as you please in that regard. But do make these and experiment with different cookies and fillings because I’m certain you’ll find them less fussy than cupcakes but more exciting than plain cookies if you need a little nosh for a fancy occasion. I think I need to go make another batch.