Easter Basket Sugar Cups

This hearty Easter Basket Sugar Cookie Cup recipe transforms simple sugar cookie dough into adorable festive treats that have become a staple in my springtime baking rotation. Each bite delivers the perfect combination of buttery cookie, smooth vanilla buttercream, and chocolate candy eggs for a dessert that looks as delightful as it tastes.

I first created these cookie cups when I needed a last-minute Easter dessert for a family gathering. What started as a quick solution has now become the most requested treat every spring, with my nieces and nephews eagerly asking when the "cookie baskets" will appear.

Ingredients

• Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough: package, the flat kind with pre-portioned squares makes assembly incredibly easy and saves precious time
• Salted butter: creates the perfect base for our buttercream adding richness and depth
• Powdered sugar: sifted for the smoothest frosting possible without any lumps
• Heavy whipping cream: adds luxurious texture to the frosting, look for the highest fat content
• Vanilla extract: use pure, not imitation, for the best flavor
• Hershey's Egg Candies: or similar chocolate eggs add the festive Easter touch with beautiful colors

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the Muffin Pan:

Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Be thorough with the spray application to ensure easy removal later. The cooking spray with flour works exceptionally well for this recipe.

Add Cookie Dough:

Place one section of the premade cookie dough into each muffin cup well. No need to press down as the dough will naturally spread during baking to create the perfect cup shape.

Bake to Perfection:

Bake for 10-14 minutes until just lightly golden around the edges. Watch carefully as overbaking will make the cups too crisp and difficult to shape. The centers should still look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven.

Create the Basket Indentation:

Immediately after removing from the oven, while still hot, use a shot glass or the bottom of a spice jar to gently press down in the center of each cookie. Apply light pressure in a circular motion to create an even indentation without cracking the edges.

Cool and Remove:

Allow the cookie cups to cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes. Then carefully loosen each cup by running a butter knife around the edge and gently lifting. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Prepare the Buttercream:

Beat the butter in a mixing bowl until fluffy and noticeably lighter in color, approximately 2 minutes. This crucial step incorporates air for the perfect texture. Gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition to avoid a powdery explosion.

Add Flavoring and Adjust Consistency:

Mix in vanilla extract and heavy cream, beating until you achieve the ideal piping consistency. The frosting should hold its shape when piped but still be soft enough to bite through easily. Add additional cream or powdered sugar as needed.

Assemble and Decorate:

Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a generous swirl of buttercream into each cooled cookie cup. Top each with exactly three chocolate eggs nestled gently into the frosting. For maximum visual impact, arrange eggs in different colors.

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The heavy cream is truly my secret ingredient in this recipe. I once tried substituting regular milk and while the frosting was still good, it lacked that silky texture that makes these cookie cups so memorable. My grandmother actually taught me this buttercream trick years ago and I use it in nearly all my frosting recipes now.

Make-Ahead Options

These Easter basket cookie cups can be prepared in stages if you are short on time on the day of serving. Bake the cookie cups up to two days ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Prepare the buttercream frosting up to one day ahead and refrigerate in a sealed container. Before assembling, allow the frosting to come to room temperature and rewhip for about 30 seconds to restore its fluffy texture. Pipe and decorate just before serving for the freshest presentation.

Troubleshooting Tips

If your cookie cups are difficult to remove from the muffin tin, you likely need more cooking spray or your cups were slightly overbaked. For stubborn cups, allow them to cool completely in the pan, then gently twist each cup to loosen before lifting out. If cups crack during removal, do not worry, they can be "glued" back together with a bit of frosting before decorating.

Creative Variations

While chocolate eggs are traditional for Easter, these cookie cups can be customized for nearly any holiday or occasion. Try red and green M&Ms for Christmas, red, white, and blue candies for Fourth of July, or customize with school colors for graduation parties. You can also flavor the frosting with different extracts, such as almond for a more sophisticated taste, or add food coloring to match your theme.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ How do you make the cookie cup base?

Use prepared sugar cookie dough, place it into muffin tin wells, and bake until lightly browned. Press the centers with a tart shaper or small tool to form a basket shape while still warm.

→ What frosting works best?

Vanilla buttercream frosting is ideal. It's easy to pipe and holds its shape well in the cookie cups.

→ Can I use other candies for decoration?

Yes, you can use jelly beans, Cadbury Mini Eggs, or Reese's peanut butter mini eggs as alternatives to chocolate egg candies.

→ How do I add color to the frosting?

Add a few drops of food coloring to the frosting until the desired shade is reached, then mix thoroughly.

→ Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes, the cookie cups can be baked and stored in an airtight container. Add frosting and decorations closer to serving for the freshest taste.