Description
These Easter Basket Sugar Cookie Cups are fun, festive, and perfect for spring celebrations. Soft sugar cookie cups are baked in a muffin tin to create a nest shape, filled with creamy buttercream frosting, and topped with colorful chocolate egg candies for a delightful treat the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredients
Cookie Cups
- 1 package (16 oz) Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
- Cooking spray or baking spray (cooking spray + flour) for muffin tin
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: Food coloring (2-3 drops)
Toppings
- 2 bags (9 oz each) Hershey’s Egg Candies or similar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or a baking spray that contains flour to prevent sticking.
- Form Cookie Cups: Separate the premade sugar cookie dough into 12 equal portions. Place one portion into each muffin tin cup, slightly flattening.
- Bake: Bake the cookie dough for 10-14 minutes until the edges are very lightly browned. Start checking at 10 minutes to avoid over-baking for soft cookie cups.
- Shape Nests: Immediately after removing from the oven, use a shot glass or the bottom of a spice jar to gently press into the center of each cookie to create a small indentation or basket shape for the frosting.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookie cups cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove them with a butter knife and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make Buttercream Frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric hand or stand mixer until fluffy and lighter in color, about 2 minutes.
- Add Powdered Sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition to avoid clouds of sugar. Once all sugar is added, beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until fluffy.
- Incorporate Cream and Vanilla: Add the vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream. Beat until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. Adjust with more cream or powdered sugar as needed for thickness or thinness. For substituting heavy cream with other milk, start with 1 tablespoon and adjust accordingly.
- Color the Frosting (optional): If desired, add 2-3 drops of food coloring and mix until the color is evenly distributed.
- Pipe Frosting and Add Toppings: Place the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large 1A or 2A star tip and pipe into the indentations of the cooled cookie cups, creating a nest effect. Top each basket with 3 chocolate egg candies. If you don’t have a piping bag, use a Ziploc bag with a small corner snipped off to pipe the frosting.
Notes
- Use the lowest baking time first (10 minutes) to prevent overbaking the cookie cups; cookies should be lightly browned, not dark.
- If you prefer, substitute heavy cream with milk, but start with a smaller amount as lighter milk will require less.
- For piping without professional supplies, a Ziploc bag is an excellent and easy alternative.
- These cookie cups are best served the same day but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Feel free to swap the chocolate egg candies for any small festive candies or sprinkles as desired.
