Fruit Cups...yes please

Welcome to The Photographer's Kitchen! I'm a professional photographer that loves to cook sooooo....why not combine the two! My husband set up this great little blog for me so I can post some wonderful recipes!

Hope you all enjoy!

As we ready ourselves for Fall, I am all about everything pumpkin...however here in Texas it is still in the 90's...so...in honor of our ever lingering Summer...I made Fruit Cups.

Here is what you will need:

- Sugar Cookie dough (I use Pillsbury, but you can make your own!)

- 1 8oz package of cream cheese (room temp)

- 16 oz whipped cream (PLEASE do not cheat yourself out of a good dessert and use cool whip - it does not compare!)

- powdered sugar

- several fruits of your choice (I used strawberries, blackberries, kiwi and white flesh nectarines)

1. Roll golf ball sized amounts of sugar cookie dough in your hand, flatten them out and place into a muffin pan (I know you guys have seen this on Pinterst like 100 times and even though they tell you that you can turn the pan over and use the backside to make nice little cookie cups...DON'T! To say it doesn't work well is a gross understatement!)

Below is a picture of how they SHOULD look coming out of the muffin pan, which was done using the recommended way...the other is the epic fail of using the underside!

2. While you are waiting for your cookie cups to cool you can start on your filling! Take your room temp cream cheese and whip them for a couple of minutes until they are smooth (use beaters!)

3. In a separate bowl, pour in your whipping cream and begin whipping! As your whipping cream begins to thicken up add in your powdered sugar (I do this to taste as I prefer it no where NEAR as sweet as cool whip!) You will be whipping this into VERY firm peaks and when it's ALMOST there add in your cream cheese!

4. The easiest (and cheapest) way to pipe the filling into the cups is to spoon the filling into a large bag and snip off the corner...and the least messy way to do that is to place the bag inside of a large cup with the edges folded over the sides. This way you can spoon the filling in and use the sides of the cup to stabilize the bag!

 5. Wash and cut up your fruit/s - I used strawberries, blackberries, kiwi and white flesh nectarines. You can pick whatever fruits you want and cut them any way you want...be as creative as you wish (as long as it tastes good!)

Had to add a photo of the inside of the white flesh nectarine! Isn't it lovely!?

6. Next you pipe the filling into the cookie cups and decorate with fruit! Voile! 

EAT AND ENJOY!

 Wonder what to do with the "messy" or broken cookie cups?! Thanks to my Mother-in-Law!

Crumble them up and make a parfait...
Everybody like a parfait! (That last part is from Shrek)