Buttercup Recipes

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.

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.

HOMEMADE BUTTER

Steps:

• Pour cream into a food processor or blender. Process for 10 minutes, or until the butter separates. Strain off the liquid. Season to taste with salt if you like. Press butter into a small bowl with the back of a spoon to further remove liquid.

BUTTERCUP SQUASH SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place squash cut-side down in a baking dish; fill with 1/4 inch of water.
• Bake squash in the preheated oven until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Heat chicken broth, basil, marjoram, black pepper, and cayenne in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Scoop flesh from squash into a blender or food processor; add onion and cream cheese. Blend mixture until smooth, working in batches if needed. Mix squash mixture into broth mixture; cook, stirring frequently, until soup is heated through but not boiling, about 5 minutes.

HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, butter and salt until smooth. , In a microwave, melt chocolate chips, candy bars and remaining peanut butter; stir until smooth., Drop teaspoons of chocolate mixture into paper-lined mini muffin cups. Drop a scant teaspoon of peanut butter mixture into each cup; top with another teaspoon of chocolate mixture. If desired, decorate with sprinkles. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container.