Mini Cookie Pies

Sugar Cookie Recipe- makes about 5 dozen

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups All-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a mixer bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a large bowl, sift together flour baking powder and salt. Add slowly to the creamed mixture. Cover the dough and chill for at least 1 hour.

Berry Filling Recipe- fills about 1 dozen cookies

6 ounces fresh berries of choice (I like and use blueberries)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon butter

In a pot, combine 4 ounces of the berries, sugar and lemon juice. Simmer until watery. In a small bowl combine the water and cornstarch, add to the berries in the pot. Cook until boiling and thick. Fold in the remaining 2 ounces of berries and butter. Allow to cool.

Once the cookie dough is ready and chilled and the filling is made and cooled, the fun part begins! :-)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of cookie dough into each opening of the muffin tin. Using your fingers, press the dough along the bottom and around the edges forming a well in the center. Leave a little gap before the top of the opening to allow room for dough to be placed on top to cover. Put about a teaspoon of filling into each well and set the pan aside. Coat your counter surface with some powdered sugar and roll out some cookie dough as if you were going to make cut-outs. Cut out small circles to be placed on top of the filled cookies in the pan (I use a shot glass with a flared opening, makes a perfect size to fit on top). Place the cut out circles on top and lightly press down the edges where the dough meets to seal. Place the pan in the fridge for 5 min to re-chill before baking if it seems the dough softened. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Cool completely before icing.

Icing Recipe

1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Add the corn syrup and extract until smooth and glossy. If mixture is too thick, add a little more milk/corn syrup until you have a nice icing consistency, not runny however.

Once the cookies are completely cooled you can start to ice your cookies. I made these as little presents for Christmas so I made a bowl of red icing and a small bowl of green icing. I found it pretty easy to dip my cookies enough to coat the domed top of the cookie into the red icing. Let it drip for a few seconds upside down before turning over to limit the amount of excess drip over the sides. Once the icing dried on the cookies I used the green icing in a piping bag to create a ribbon look for the presents.

Have fun and enjoy! :-)