Strawberry Milkshake Bites

We’ve been making a lot of mini treats lately on Smart Cookie. Just a few days ago, we made teeny tiny Cookies & Cream Brownie Cookie Cups, and last week, we had hand-held Pasta Marinara Garlic Bread Bowls. Maybe my fascination with all things mini is because I myself am mini (5’1” and proud). Whatever the reason, it works out well for all of us because mini foods are both cute and delicious.

We’re breaking out the shrink ray again today for these itty bitty Strawberry Milkshake Bites. You can scarf one down in one or two bites max, and get all the flavor of a tall, creamy strawberry milkshake. These bites are served chilled too, so they’re just as refreshing as the beverage they mimic.

I started with something unexpected for the filling: canned frosting. Pillsbury’s Fluffy Strawberry Marshmallow frosting gives us the candy-like strawberry flavor we want, with added creaminess and richness too. Then we fold in fresh homemade whipped cream for added fluffiness. A few drops of strawberry extract enhance the flavor, and we’ve got a dreamy, light filling that’s refreshingly cool and sweet.

My favorite sugar cookie dough makes up the soft and chewy crust. I had so many people asking about the crust recipe when I served these at a grad party over the weekend. It’s the recipe I turn to every Christmas, and it makes for an awesome edible bowl for our luscious filling.

Someone at the party I brought these to also suggested turning it into one big pie too. You could easily do that and enjoy whole honking slices of this dreamy stuff. That said, I do enjoy my mini one-bite treats. It makes me feel like I can eat more of them, and you know what they say: the more, the merrier.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

1. Be careful not to over-whip the filling, or you wind up with butter instead of fluff.
2. You can make the crusts for these ahead of time, and then freeze until you’re ready to fill them fresh.
3. Save the dough recipe itself for the best sugar cookies ever.
4. The pearl sprinkles are optional, but cute. find them in the baking section of craft stores.

Strawberry Milkshake Bites

Ingredients:

For the dough
Adapted from Buzzfeed.com

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tbsp.), room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

For the filling
By The Smart Cookie Cook

• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. strawberry extract
• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup Pillsbury Fluffy Strawberry Marshmallow Frosting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two mini muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in eggs, one at a time, until evenly combined. Stir in vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt until well-combined. Fold mixture into butter mixture, a little at a time, until evenly incorporated.
4. Drop dough into muffin tins, about a teaspoon’s worth, and bake for 5 minutes. Immediately use something like the bottom of an ice cream scoop or a handle that’s thick, round and about 1/2-inch in diameter to press deep indentations into the dough. If you don’t have anything to use, just use your thumb (but put something over it to prevent burning). Return to oven for 2 more minutes.
5. Let cool completely before removing from pan. Use a knife and work it around the edges to loosen the crusts then gently remove them.
6. Make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat together cream, strawberry extract, mascarpone, cornstarch, and vanilla until thick and fluffy. Fold in the frosting.
7. Transfer filling to a piping bag (you can make one out of a plastic bag by cutting off one corner) and pipe filling into cooled crusts. Store in fridge in an air-tight container and enjoy.