Key Lime Pie Sugar Cookie Cups

This is such a fun and delicious cookie recipe! The filling made WAY more than I needed for 24 cookie cups - you could probably make 72 - 96 cookies easily with the amount of filling (or just eat it with a spoon!) For the sugar cookies I used this recipe - you will only need a portion of the recipe (16 ounces is what is needed for 1 mini muffin tin, or 24 cookie cups), or use all of the dough to make about 72 - 96 cookies (which I'm guesstimating is about how many cookies you could probably get out of the recipe linked above for sugar cookies).

For this recipe, I used the Priority Chef Citrus Squeezer and Lemon Juicer available via Amazon to juice the limes - it worked beautifully! I was sent the juicer to test out via Tomoson and found it to be another terrific kitchen gadget to add to my arsenal. This is something I've never owned before - a squeeze version, and I LOVED how easy this was to use. Super quick, efficient, and easy to clean. It worked perfectly on the limes in this yummy recipe.

I took 2 dozen of these yummy treats to work for a cookie exchange - and boy did they disappear fast and I got several requests for this recipe. These are sure to please any crowd - serve as a cookie, or a mini pie and wow your family and friends this Holiday season!

Key Lime Pie Sugar Cookie Cups from I Am A Honeybee
Makes 24 mini pies / cookie cups

Ingredients
16-oz sugar cookie dough
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup key lime juice (or regular lime juice - I have even substituted lemon juice before)
1 (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk can
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped Cream (optional)
lime zest for garnish (optional)

Directions
To prepare the sugar cookie cups:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the mini muffin pans by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Roll 24 even sized dough balls and place in the bottom of each muffin tin.
3. Bake the cookies for 6 minutes and then rotate the pan(s) in the oven for even cooking. Bake for another 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown  (cooking time can depend on pan material).
4. Remove cookies from oven and very gently press a teaspoon (or the backside of a melon ball scooper) in the center of each baked cookie to make the shape of the cup. Don't press TOO firmly or you'll make it more difficult to remove the cookie, but you will have to press with a little bit of firmness to get the shape to hold (I had to repress the indentation a couple times).
5. After 10 minutes of cooling, gently run a knife around the cookie cups and then remove them from the muffin pan and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled.

To prepare the filling:

1. Whisk together the egg yolks, lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract.
2. Pour the mixture into a medium sized pot. Continuously whisk the mixture over medium heat to cook through the eggs, about 12-14 minutes (if mixture is still thin, bring to a gentle boil and allow to thicken slightly). Remove and allow to cool on the stovetop for 15 - 20 minutes, then pour into a sealable container (or a piping bag / Ziploc bag) and move to the refrigerator to allow it to fully chill.

To assemble to mini pies:

1. Spoon or pipe the key lime curd filling into the center of the cookie cups.
2. Top the curd off with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of lime zest (if desired).
3. Refrigerate for at least one hour prior to serving - keep filling refrigerated to store.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.