#48. Pillsbury Baking Blitz, Part II: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups With Chocolate Cream

If you think using pre-made Pillsbury dough as a base for making cookies is an unforgivable cop-out, stop reading now.

If, however, you are an enlightened, generous person who recognizes that “semi-homemade” baked goods still have merit for the time and creativity involved in their preparation, then please enjoy my five-part Pillsbury Baking Blitz.

Part II: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups With Chocolate Cream

What more fun than eating a cup of chocolate whipped cream? Being able to eat the cup when you’re finished BECAUSE IT’S A COOKIE!!

The recipe below is slightly adapted from Pillsbury website.

Ingredients

• 1 package Pillsbury refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

• 1 cup whipping cream

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

• 2 Tbs unsweetened baking cocoa

• 1/4 Tsp vanilla

  Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. Place 1 piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup; press in bottom and up side, forming cup shape.

2. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pans on cooling racks.

3. In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

4. Carefully remove cookie cups from pans. Pipe chocolate cream into cups. Store in refrigerator.

#4. Vanilla Rose Cookies With Rose Creme Filling

A while ago a dear friend gifted me this baking cookbook and only just now am I digging into all the marvelous recipes for cookies, bars, etc. The book's recipe for rosewater cream sandwich cookies caught my eye immediately given my burgeoning obsession with this ingredient, which I use often in making Syrian desserts.

When making this recipe, I detected a small error, namely that the amount of powdered sugar prescribed in the  recipe produces a filling more akin to a glaze than an icing. Perhaps, actually, the proportion is intentional, but for the purposes of making cookie sandwiches, you really need a sturdier, thicker inner adhesive. Thus, I have adjusted the amounts of sugar and rosewater below.  The resulting cookie is most, fragrant, slightly sweet and perfect with Earl Grey tea.

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsalted butter (softened)

• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar (plus extra to coat 

• 4 cups flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 2 1/2 to 3 cups confectioner's sugar

• 3 tsp rose water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and 1/2 cup sugar.

4. Stir in flour and salt gradually.

5. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

6. Form dough into balls (as large or small as you want your sandwiches) and roll balls lightly in remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.

7. Bake until the lightest of brown (12-18 min). Cool completely.

8. Blend cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and rose water.

9. Mete out icing between two cookies for sandwiches. I'm sure you can figure it out.