Blackberry-Cream–Filled Red Hat Cookies
Serves: Makes 24
 
Ingredients
  • 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 1⁄4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1⁄8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 (1-ounce) bottle liquid red food coloring
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream Blackberry Cream Filling (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: edible micro flowers**
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, beat together butter, 3⁄4 cup sugar, and vanilla extract with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg, beating well.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined. Add food coloring until desired hue is achieved. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, approximately 1 hour.
  3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray 3 (8-well) brownie pops silicone molds* with baking spray with flour.
  4. Using a 2-teaspoon levered scoop, portion dough into 24 balls. Place dough balls in wells of prepared molds, pressing into bottom and up sides of molds. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, press a well into center of each dough ball. Freeze for 10 minutes.
  5. On a lightly floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll remaining dough to a 1⁄8-inch thickness. Using a 2 1⁄4-inch round cutter, cut 24 rounds from dough, rerolling scraps once, if necessary. Place rounds evenly spaced on prepared baking sheets.
  6. Bake cookie rounds until just set, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
  7. Increase oven temperature to 350°F.
  8. Remove silicone molds from freezer and bake for 14 minutes. Remove from oven and press down centers again using the handle of a wooden spoon. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 4 to 8 minutes more. Let cool completely in molds before removing from molds. Using a serrated knife, gently trim upper edges of cookie domes to level, if necessary.
  9. In a medium deep bowl, beat together cold cream and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar with a mixer at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Place whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip (Wilton #6).
  10. Place Blackberry Cream Filling in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (Wilton #10 or #12).
  11. Assembling one hat cookie at a time, pipe Blackberry Cream Filling into a cookie dome. Pipe a thin bead of whipped cream along upper edge of cookie dome. Center a cookie round, top side down, onto a cookie dome. Invert and place hat cookie on a flat surface. Repeat to assemble a total of 24 hat cookies.
  12. Pipe remaining whipped cream in 2 rows of pulled dots to create a band for each hat cookie.
  13. Just before serving, garnish with edible flowers, if desired.
Notes
*We used Wilton Brownie Pops Silicone Molds. If 3 (8-well) brownie pop silicone molds are not available, bake in batches in available molds. Keep remaining dough in the refrigerator until ready to use, and let cookies cool completely in molds once baked. After the molds have cooled completely, they can be used again.
**We used edible flowers from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals, 800-931-7530 or gourmetsweetbotanicals.com.

Make-Ahead Tip: Cookies can be assembled a day in advance, placed in an airtight container, and refrigerated. Serve cold or at room temperature. Garnish with flowers just before serving.
Recipe by TeaTime Magazine at https://teatimemagazine.com/blackberry-cream-filled-red-hat-cookies/