Add the water, cherries, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and almond extract to a saucepan and give it a stir.
Turn the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until thickened.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the lemon zest.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Add the filling to a food processor or blender. Pulse 2-4 times to break down the cherries a bit. Alternatively, run a knife through the filling.
Streusel (make this while the cherry filling is cooking)
Add to a food processor, add the butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pulse until the mixture resembles small peas.
Glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Cookie Cups
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Prep the cookie dough. Cut the cookie dough into 20 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Pour the granulated sugar in a small bowl and dip each ball into the bowl to coat in sugar. Place a ball in each cup of a 20-cup mini muffin tin.
Bake the cookie dough for 15 minutes.
Create a divot in the cookie dough. Using your thumbs or the butt of a shot glass, press a divot into each cookie. Press almost to the bottom of the muffin tin and make sure the dough stretches up the sides of the tin.
Fill the cookie cups. Fill each cookie cup to the brim with cherry filling. Top each with a bit of streusel.
Bake for 7-10 minutes. The streusel should be nicely browned.
Cool and finish. Allow the cookie cups to cool completely before removing them from their tins, drizzling them with glaze, and serving.
Notes
If you want to skip the step of actually making the cherry pie filling you can always replace it with canned cherry pie filling.