Cookie cups make sweet vessels for berries

(Chocolate Cookie Cups make perfect vessels for sweetened mascarpone and berries)

Summer berries — does it get any better than that? Well, maybe, if you add in the rest of summer’s fruits, such as cherries, peaches, apricots and plums.
Right now, local strawberries are peaking and blueberries aren’t far behind.

Today’s Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal features recipes for blueberries from the sweet to savory. I especially like the recipe for Blueberry Cornbread and the Savory Blueberry Sauce, which is made with thyme and balsamic vinegar — go ahead, click on the link to find these gems and more.

So inspired by the season’s offerings — and a container of mascarpone in the refrigerator that begged to be used — I devised this devilish little dessert that serves as a cunning vessel to hold these summer gems. It also has a red, white and blue theme (I used my little alpine strawberries for the white), which would make it a perfect dessert for a Fourth of July picnic.
You can use any type of berry for this recipe, including the filling, which would be scrumptious with raspberries as well.

The cookie dough recipe makes a really large batch, so freeze half of it for another use. I had half in the freezer from Valentine’s Day when I made the recipe using little cookie cutters. It came in handy for this recipe, as did the frozen strawberries I had from last season, which worked wonderfully for the sweetened cream.

Chocolate Cookie Berry Cups with Strawberry Mascarpone

For the cookie cups:

1. 2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 1 teaspoon baking powder
5. 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
6. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
7. 2 large eggs
8. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
9. 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition.
• Add the vanilla extract; beat until combined.
• Turn the mixer down a notch and add the flour mixture in three stages, blending until just combined and you have a smooth dough.
• Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or longer until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove one half of the dough and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out to a 1/4 inch thickness.
• Using a 3-inch glass or cookie cutter, cut out circles and place them in greased muffin tins, gently patting them to form little cups.
• Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes until firm.
• Remove from pan and cool on a rack.
  

For the filling:

1. 1 8-ounce container of mascarpone cream.
2. 3-4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
3. 1/4 cup frozen, defrosted strawberries with juice (gauge how much you need to prevent the cream from getting too loose)
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla
5. ½ teaspoon lemon zest

• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and well combined.

• Spoon a teaspoon of the cream into the cooled cookie cups.
• Top each one with a combination of fresh blueberries and strawberries.

Serve with a crisp glass of Prosecco for a sensational summer treat.
The cookie cups can also be frozen for future indulging.