COOKIE BOWLS

Looking for a fun and inexpensive way to jazz up your next family gathering or birthday party? Try these cookie bowls. Not only are they easy to do, but you can fill them with anything from pudding to ice cream. The bowls can be baked ahead of time and frozen (unfilled); there are tons of possibilities.

The instructions for these cookie bowls call for forming them over an inverted cupcake pan, however, I wanted bigger (and thicker) ones because they were for a specific purpose and had to be strong enough to travel well, so I formed them over an inverted Texas size  muffin pan.

IMPORTANT NOTE

THIS RECIPE CALLS FOR HALF SHORTENING AND HALF BUTTER. DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO SUBSTITUTE ALL BUTTER, IT WILL NOT WORK !! IF YOU USE ALL BUTTER, THE DOUGH WILL SAG AND SPREAD ALL OVER THE PLACE AS IT BAKES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATED COOKIE DOUGH DOES NOT WORK EITHER (IT ALSO SPREADS).


1/4 cup butter flavored shortening (no substitutions)
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)(no substitutions)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Beat together shortening, butter and sugars in a large bowl; add the egg and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Add the flour and baking powder and mix well then stir in the miniature chocolate chips.

Put batter into a large plastic bag and flatten into a disk; chill for about an hour. Preheat your oven to 375°. Turn your cupcake (or muffin) pan upside down and cover every other cup with foil.

NOTE: standard size cupcake pan requires a 4" circle of foil and the Texas size muffin pan requires a 6" circle of foil. Spray the foil lightly with vegetable spray.

NOTE: I used the new no stick foil and didn't have to spray it at all.

NOTE: If you are using a standard size cupcake pan, you can use full size paper cupcake liners instead of the foil.

Roll the chilled cookie dough  (between two pieces of waxed paper) out to about 1/8th inch or about the same thickness as pie dough. Cut circles and drape over foil, smoothing wrinkles and/or cracks in the dough together and trimming to fit.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven and let them COOL ON THE PAN FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE TRYING TO REMOVE THEM. 

After 10 minutes, gently lift them off of the pan (use the tip of a butter knife to lift one corner of the cookie bowl first) but DON'T REMOVE THE FOIL FROM THE INSIDE OF THE COOKIE BOWL UNTIL IT IS COMPLETELY COOLED. 

Fill just before serving. 

ENJOY !!!