Cookie Cups

I came across this recipe in an email from Taste of Home this week and thought it would be the perfect way to top of our Memorial Day barbecue. What could be cuter (or more delicious!) than vanilla frozen custard topped with strawberries and blueberries served in cookie cups!?

Well, as you can see from the picture, it didn't quite go as planned. I upheld my end of the bargain ... making the cookie cups, cutting the strawberries, and having the blueberries ready to go. But when I sent Bill to Kopp's for the custard, he came back to Kona Coco Mac instead of vanilla ... but it was so delicious, I could only half-heartedly complain. So we just scrapped the patriotic idea and had yummy coffee-coconut-macadamia nut frozen custard in a cookie cups instead

That actually made a delcious combination with the almond-y, toffee-y goodness of the cookie cups. They were somewhat tricky to make, but invovle super simple ingredients and were well worth the effort.

Almond Toffee Cookie Cups
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup almonds, finely ground in the food processor
3 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine butter, brown sugar, and corn starch. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Off the heat, stir in almonds, flour, and vanilla.

Scoop tablespoonfuls of batter about 3 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 1 minute. Peel cookies from sheets and immediately drape over the bottom of pint glasses, shaping into bowls. (Note: You really have to have teflon fingers for this. The cookies need to be hot enough or else they won't be shape-able.)

Allow to cool completely before serving.


Another thing to take into consideration with these cookies is storing them. I made them on Saturday night, so I allowed them to cool overnight. On Sunday morning, I stacked them in a bowl and put them aside in the kitchen. I had a minor problem pulling them apart come serving time, and it's a good thing it wasn't any warmer because they would have just become a sticky mess. Either store these in a very well air conditioned spot or in the fridge until you're ready to use them!