Well, Valentine's Day is almost upon us, and I love my fabulous Chocolate Cookie Cups with Strawberry Cream. The chocolate cookie cups have so much chocolate flavor, and the strawberry cream melts in your mouth. The fresh taste of strawberries is a sign that spring is just around the corner; I can't wait. Next will be St. Patrick's Day than Easter. I am already craving lemons.
Cookie cups can be a little tricky. I remember I tried to bake some previously, and they crumbled into pieces. Sad but true. I stumbled onto the 48 cavity mini cupcake pans sometime last month and am so glad I picked it up on sale. It is an excellent non-stick pan in which I can do all the cookie cups in one bake, which is a time saver. I did decide not to take any chances and sprayed the pan cavities lightly with Pam. I also purchased the two-headed tamper at the same time. Who knew what cool little gadget it turned out to be.
Chocolate Cookie Cups with Strawberry Cream
Barbara HallIngredients
COOKIE CUP
- 1 cup Butter unsalted 2 sticks room temperature
- 1 cup Sugar white 198 g
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Egg
- 2-¾ cups All-purpose flour 330 g
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder 21 g
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
STRAWBERRY FILLING
- 8 ounces Softened Cream Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar white
- ¾ lb fresh strawberries for puree
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- ¼ lb fresh strawberries garnish
Instructions
COOKIE CUPS
- Weigh or measure the sugar and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt running a whisk through to blend. In a stand or hand-held mixer, blend the butter and sugar. I beat them for 2-3 minutes to incorporate the sugar. Add the vanilla extract, then the egg. Turn the mixer on low speed and gradually add the flour mixture. It should be like playdough for consistency.
- Take a mini cupcake pan, either a 24 (nice if you have 2) or 48 cavity pan. My 48 mini pan is nonstick, but I still spray lightly with Pam to make it as easy as possible to get the cookie cup out of the pan without cracking.
- Two options for shaping the cookie cups:Rolling out the dough and using a medium circle to cut out and shape each one into a cavity.OR Take a small cookie scoop of dough and flatten it out by hand and then shape it into a mini cupcake cavity.
- I have a wooden tamper for pressing down a tart that has a small and large end. The smaller end is what I used to press down the bottoms of the cookie cup, but you can use your fingers. The bottom of my cookie cups was a little thicker, so I was shy one cup for four dozen.
- Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes
STRAWBERRY CREAM FILLING
- In a blender, puree the strawberries. You should get at least ½ cup. The remainder ¼ cup of fresh strawberries cut into smaller pieces as a garnish for the top of each cookie cup. In a stand or handheld mixer, blend the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed. Add a tablespoon at a time of the strawberry puree till mixed into the cream cheese. Take the bowl off the mixer and fold in the Cool Whip till it is incorporated. I added 1 drop of coloring gel (red) to get the perfect shade of pink but you do not have to it will just be a lighter shade of pink.
- I am using a piping bag with a large closed star tip to pipe the strawberry cream into each of the cookie cups. Add a piece of fresh strawberry to the top of the strawberry cream to finish the cookies off. So pretty and so yummy! Store in the refrigerator.
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