Berries & Cream Sugar Cookies
Two of my favs, remixed into one gorgeous, delicious, show-stopping dessert.
Is there anything better than fresh (SUMMER) berries and cream?
This recipe is my fourth and final recipe for my “favorite things” series (a series where I’m sharing foods that I LOVE in honor of my birthday earlier this month ❤️).
Here’s what we’ve covered so far:
Recipe 1: Olive Oil Texas Sheet Cake
Recipe 2: Authentic Ligurian Pesto
And today we’re ending with a remix of my favorite summer dessert in cookie form, because cookies are my favorite dessert of all time, and there’s nothing that screams summer more than berries and cream.
These cookies are a total showstopper. Yet, all you’re doing is making a simple sugar cookie dough with a domed center, whipping up a super simple frosting made of cream cheese & heavy whipping cream, and assembling everything together (the fun part).
Summer berries are the star of the show. Let the produce do the heavy lifting! This recipe is perfect for capitalizing on berries that are so good they taste like candy. Make them now while it’s the ideal time of the year.
They’re perfect for the 4th of July. If you’re like me, you’re already dreaming up your 4th of July menu (how is that only 8 days away?!), and these cookies would be perfect for any kind of Independence Day gathering.
What if I Don’t Have Cake Flour?
While it’s ideal to use cake flour, you can make a cake flour substitute with just a few pantry staples. For each cup of cake flour needed, use an equal amount of all-purpose flour, replacing 2 Tablespoons of each cup of flour with 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. While this works in a pinch, know that the results won’t be exactly the same as if using cake flour.
How To Crush This Recipe
If you’re going to all the effort of making these berries & cream sugar cookies, make sure they’re made the right way.
Chill the dough. For cookies that don’t spread too much, are super soft, and turn out just right, you’ll want to chill the dough. If you’re in a time crunch, you can skip this step, but the dough won’t be fully hydrated, and your cookies may spread.
Timing is key. While the cookies can be made ahead, the frosting and berries can only be added the day of (ideally no more than an hour or two before serving). To make cookies ahead, simply follow recipe instructions up until the frosting portion, and store in the fridge in an airtight container. Because the frosting has whipped cream (which can collapse after sitting for too long), you’ll want to wait until the day of to make it.
Use whole berries. I know—it’s tempting to throw sliced strawberries or maybe even diced peaches into this recipe, but you’ll quickly have a juicy, unpresentable mess. Opt for whole raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries for these cookies.
Pull out the vanilla bean paste. If you have some on hand, vanilla bean paste is a game-changer for both the cookies and the whipped cream frosting in this recipe. I love this one from Trader Joe’s, and this Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste on Amazon is the OG and so good.
Do not overbake the cookies. This dessert is meant to be a little bit of a melt-in-your-mouth situation, with a sugar cookie base that just melts into the whipped cream frosting. You’ll know they’re done when the bottoms of the cookies are just barely showing signs of browning.
piping bags, for the frosting
SUGAR COOKIES
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces