Princess Cookies 💖

Inspired by the beloved Swedish cake, these cookies are fit for a royal holiday 💖
🎥: @ohcakeswinnie5695

Get Christopher Mercado’s recipe👇

Princess Cookies
Level: Intermediate
Total: 2 hr 15 min (includes chilling and cooling times)
Active: 1 hr
Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients
Pastry Cream:
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Cookie Crust:
Nonstick baking spray, for the muffin pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Marzipan:
2 cups almond flour
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon almond extract
Green food coloring, for tinting

Assembly:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup raspberry jam
24 raspberries (see Cook’s Note)
Pink rose sprinkles, for topping
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Directions
Special equipment: a 3 1/2-inch round cutter; a 24-cup nonstick mini muffin pan

For the pastry cream: Stir together the milk, vanilla, salt and 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar in a small saucepan until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl until smooth. While continually whisking, slowly pour in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Continue whisking and adding 1/4 cup of the milk mixture at a time until all of it is added.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to the texture of pudding, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter until melted and the pastry cream is glossy. Transfer the pastry cream to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

For the cookie crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 24-cup nonstick mini muffin pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined; do not overwork.

Roll the dough into 24 equal balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Transfer the dough to the prepared pan; using the handle of a thick wooden spoon or your fingers, press the dough into each to create a “cup.” Use a fork to prick the bottoms.

Bake until the dough has puffed slightly and starts to turn golden brown at the edges, 22 to 25 minutes. While still warm, push down the center of each “cup” with the handle of a wooden spoon to make a deeper hole to hold the fillings. Let the crusts cool completely in the pan, about 20 minutes.

For the marzipan: Process the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, almond extract and 1/4 cup water in a food processor until a smooth ball forms, about 2 minutes (it should be the consistency of modeling clay). Add 2 to 3 drops of green food coloring and pulse again until well combined and the mixture is a pastel green. Shape into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Set aside.

For the assembly: Whip the cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Whip the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream until just combined.
Scoop about 1/4 teaspoon of the raspberry jam into each cookie cup. Top each with a raspberry, rounded tip facing up. Evenly divide the pastry cream mixture (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) over the raspberry and smooth into a dome on top.

Lightly dust a work surface with confectioners’ sugar and use a rolling pin to roll out the marzipan to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cutter, punch out 24 circles (scrap marzipan can be kneaded and rerolled as necessary).

Place a small bowl of water next to the cookie cups. Gently drape a circle of marzipan over each filled cookie cup and smooth down around the sides. Lightly wet a finger, dab the top of each marzipan covering with a bit of water and top with a rose sprinkle. Chill the cookies until ready to serve or up to overnight for optimal taste. The cookies can be stored uncovered for up to 2 days.

Cook’s Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.) Use smaller fresh raspberries to ensure they leave room for plenty of the cream mixture.

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