Cookie Tulips Recipe
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg whites, beaten
- 1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 17 large fresh strawberries, divided
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet liner. Grease the outsides of 12 2-inch diameter baking glasses or small bowls.
- Mash the butter and white sugar together in a bowl until smooth, and mix in the flour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and the egg whites to make a smooth batter. Drop about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and use a spoon or spatula to spread the dough out into a very thin circle about 7 inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are very lightly browned at the edges and the centers are set, 7 to 9 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don't overbake. Pull the sheet from the oven, and immediately slip a spatula underneath each flat cookie; center and drape them over the greased glasses to harden into small wavy bowls. Allow to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool over their molds, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth; mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Remove green tops and cores from 5 strawberries; place them into a small bowl, and mash to a juicy, slightly lumpy texture; mix the strawberries into the cream cheese mixture. Gently fold the whipped topping into the strawberry cream until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the strawberry cream into each cookie bowl, then top with a pretty fresh strawberry with green top. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container, and leftover cream in refrigerator.
