Shortbread Cookie Cups with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling

Preheat your oven to 325 F and lightly spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray (see note).

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat again until well combined.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and cinnamon until well mixed. Add the flour, along with the pecans and Craisins into the butter mixture and stir until the dough comes together. I find it easiest to use your hands to really mix the dough.

Place a scant 1 tablespoon-sized ball of dough in each of the mini muffin cavities, and use your fingers to press in the center to create a cup shape. Make sure to press up and along the sides as well.

Bake until the sides of the cup begin to turn lightly golden brown, about 11 minutes.

While the cups are baking, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour until well combined. Add the egg white and gently stir until a slightly runny paste forms. Mix until just combined, as you don’t want to add too much air into the filling, which causes it to sink and crack once baked.

When the cookies are done, remove the pan from the oven. The cookies will rise up once baked, so use a small spoon (or your fingers if you don’t mind some heat—it’s easier) to press the sides in and down to re-form the cup.

Spoon the filling mixture into the cups until they are only ¾ full. Adjust your oven rack to the lowest setting and bake the cookies on it, until the outsides of the filling look just set, and the inside is slightly jiggly, about 5-6 minutes. You don’t want them to rise up, or they will sink down once cooled. Remove from oven when done. Let the cookies cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then gently transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat cooking the rest of the cookies. Devour!

Note: I only have one 12-count mini muffin tray, and the recipe makes 18 to 20 cookies, so I had to do it in 2 batches. For some reason, every time I make the second batch of cookies (as the recipe makes more than 1 pan) the filling required less cooking time. Only about 4 minutes. So watch closely if you are doing the same.