Fruit Cookie Cups

These adorable cookie cups are at must at birthday parties. We call them “adult cupcakes” since they are so much better than regular cupcakes. They also make a great Fourth of July treat when topped with blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

by Mary Ellen Burton

1 package Pillsbury sugar cookies (The flat one, not the tube.)
1 7oz jar marshmallow cream
1 8oz cream cheese block softened
small pieces of fruit

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a mini-muffin pan. Let cream cheese sit on the counter to soften while making the cookie cups.

Cookie Cups:
Use a pizza cutter to cut each cookie in half while it’s still on the cardboard. Roll each half in the palm of your hand and press into a 1″ circle. Place each disk in the mini-muffin pan.

Press a tool into a cup of flour and then press a circle into the dough until a cup is formed and the sides reach top of pan. Mom actually owns a wooden kitchen tool made for tasks such as this, but if you don’t, get creative! We’ve been known to use the end of an ice cream scoop and even the handle of a screwdriver! Your fingers do not work well for this job because they do not put even pressure on the sides of the pan. The cookies will likely be thin around the top and be difficult to remove later.

Bake for around 8 minutes. Cool in pan for 3-5 minutes and carefully pry the cups out with a butter knife. If you wait too long, the cookies may crumble when removed. If you try to remove them too early, they are too soft to remove. You want them just right where the cookie is still soft enough to press back into shape if they are damaged during removal.

Repeat process for second half of dough.

Let cookie cups cool completely.

Filling:
In a mixer, combine marshmallow cream and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Do not attempt to combine by hand. (This is the same recipe as our favorite fruit dip.)

Fill a pastry bag or Ziploc bag with the corner cut off with mixture and carefully fill each cookie cup. You can also scoop and drop the mixture into the cups with a spoon.

Top with fruit. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield 24 cookie cups. We often double the recipe for a crowd.

If you are in a hurry, make fruit pizza instead (see picture below) following the same recipe. Cut into bite-sized squares to serve.