This is the second time I've made these and it's been a hit both times. It starts with a homemade sugar cookie. Rather than using a store bought variety of cream cheese dip, I chose to make my own version as well. Here's what you need to know if you'd like to make these.
I used a sugar cookie recipe that I found in my Mom's cookbook. It's the Sugar Drop Cookies from the "Joy of Cooking" cookbook.
INGREDIENTS:
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla *
*I like almond flavoring, so I went with ½ tsp. vanilla and ½ tsp. almond extract
DIRECTIONS:
Sift all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup cooking oil. Beat the sugar and oil together until well combined using a mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each is added. Add extract(s).
Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat well. Shape the dough into ½ inch balls. Dip the balls in granulated sugar. You can also choose to flatten them with your finger to the desired size as I did. I tried a couple from the "ball" stage to see how much they flattened, and they do stay pretty plump, but they were nice and soft.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. I will tell you, this timeframe was way too long. I like softer cookies, and in the case of this dessert, they should be soft (maybe a little golden on the edges). Next time I'm going to check them at about 8 minutes and make my decision from there.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 oz. package of cream cheese
7 oz. marshmallow fluff or Jet Puff marshmallow creme (this is what I found in my grocery)
Soften the cream cheese and mix the two ingredients together with a mixer. That's it!! It's so perfect for this....a little sweet, but it does not overpower the fruit which is the real star of the show.
As for the fruit, that's totally up to you. Strawberries, blackberries, mandarin oranges and kiwi are definitely my "go to". This time I also added some mango. Then just have fun "creating" your very own design.
Refrigerate before serving. My husband actually loves these even the day after, since the cookie softens up even further. Just cover them with plastic wrap if storing overnight. I keep them on the cookie sheet so the plastic wrap is suspended above the cookies.
Enjoy!