Blue Ribbon Group Raspberry Berets
Ohio State Fair
Aptly named Raspberry Berets, these colorful and creative cookie cups are like mini fruit pies. They get me singing the Prince song of the same name every time. We highly recommend baking them, with Prince tunes as your soundtrack.
They are crowd-pleasing and so easy to make! I mean, really easy. You start with a delicious cookie shell made with butter, granulated and powdered sugar, baking soda, salt, and flour. Fresh out of the oven (while still in the tins) you re-press the cups (to be deep enough to hold the fillings) and let them cool.
Beth Krauss won at the 2015 Ohio State Fair with this Raspberry Berets recipe (third place) and said they were inspired by her love of bite-sized desserts. If you love shortbread, you’re going to love these cookie cups. If you love buttercream, you’re going to scream for these.
The “filling” is a seedless raspberry jam with a rich raspberry buttercream on top. You finish them a fresh raspberry.
Baking Tips:
If you are making these raspberry berets ahead of time and freezing, a raspberry gummy works well as a substitute garnish.
Another idea is the bake the cookie shells/cups and freeze them in sealed plastic freezer bags (or refrigerate them instead). You can pre make the buttercream too and keep it in the freezer or fridge. That way, with some raspberry jam and fresh raspberries on hand, you can assemble all or part of the batch on the day that you need them.
Beth, the wining creator of this recipe, says that if raspberries aren’t your thing, go with a lemon curd, coconut custard, or even chocolate pudding as the filling.
Try this award-winning recipe today! You won’t regret it. This is one of our most popular recipes. One taste and you’ll know why. Put these in heavy rotation and in the “best cookie” category.
-Cyndi
Raspberry Berets
1 cup butter, unsalted, softened (2 sticks)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
1 to 1 1/4 cups seedless raspberry jam (about 20 oz), divided
1/2 cup butter, unsalted, softened (1 stick)
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
48 fresh raspberries (about 1 pint) or 48 raspberry gummy candies
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the cookie shells. In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and confectioner’s sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add baking soda, salt, and flour. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Roll dough into 48 balls, about 1 inch in diameter. (Tip: Use wet hands to prevent sticking.) Press a ball into each cup of a mini muffin pan, pushing dough up sides of each cup and creating a small depression in the middle. (Tip: use greased or lined tins, or a silicone nonstick mini muffin pan).
Bake 11 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven. While warm, re-press the indentations with the bottom of a wooden spoon handle (or whatever works) to make shells to hold the toppings.
Once shells cool, divide 3/4 to 1 cup of the raspberry jam among the 48 shells. Mix the frosting. Beat the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Generously pipe or spread on top of the jam. Top each with a fresh raspberry if serving immediately or soon after making. If making ahead of time and freezing, raspberry gummies work great as a fresh raspberry substitute. Makes 48 raspberry berets.
