CHOCOLATE LEMON LUSH CUPS

I was really hoping to jump back into cooking this week, but the doctor hasn't released me so hubby is going to try to make my recipes as he refuses to let me overdo in ANY way.  LOL This should be interesting!  What a week for my camera to be in the shop.

One of the things I've been doing while being forced to do nothing physical is trying to go through all the stacks of magazines and recycle!  If I have to sit still this seems so logical - except now I'm growing a stack of pages torn from magazines for recipes I must try!

I was going through an 1993 Country Living, yep 1993, and found a recipe for Lemon Cookie Cups.  The title sounded awesome and they called it a variation of classic lemon bars.  I decided to do an internet search and after much thought I am altering the original recipe from Country living and picking favorite ingredients from the dozens of other  recipes I found to brew up a new recipe and am introducing:

BLISSFULLY DECADENT LEMON CHOCOLATE LUSH CUPS ~ makes 24 cups

CRUST

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

• Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add flour and beat until well blended. If dough is soft add an additional tablespoon of flour.
• Cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
• Either line your muffin tin with liners or spray extremely well with PURE.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• Divide dough evenly, about 1 tablespoon, into the 24 cups.
• Using your lightly floured fingertips gently press dough into the bottom and up the sides of each cup.
• Bake 15 minutes.

FILLING
1/2  cup granulated sugar
2  teaspoons finely  grated lemon rind
1  tablespoon  lemon juice
1  large egg
1  (8-ounce) cream cheese, cubed & softened

• In a small food processor process all ingredients until smooth, scraping sides of processor bowl occasionally. 
• Spoon 1 tablespoon filling into each prepared muffin cup. 
• Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until edges are brown and filling is set. 
• Remove cups from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack. 

TOPPING
8 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream

• Put chocolate into a heatproof bowl. 
• Bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan. 
• Pour over chocolate. Let stand for 10 minutes, then whisk until smooth. 
• Let cool, whisking occasionally. For piping, immediately transfer to pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain round tip.
• Use immediately.

Now pretend that I have a camera this week, but since I don't I went in search of pictures on google images that came close to making you feel like you were eating and seeing this decadent dessert.

or these

or even these

Now combine all 3 pictures, inhale deeply and smell the rich smooth lemony cream and luscious chocolate as they touch your tongue and your taste buds to combine and begin to explode and you are beginning to taste what we are eating.  I promise a real picture soon!