Description
These Easter Egg Cookies are easy to make and so much fun to decorate! I used a shortbread cookie base for these, to make them more traditional and tart-like, but you can also use a sugar cookie base, if you like. The mascarpone cream ties everything together and makes these cookies so special. Both kids and adults will have a blast decorating and eating these alternative easter eggs this year.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 traditional shortbread cookie recipe
- 1–2 containers mascarpone cheese, or cream cheese, softened to room temperature (I used one 8 oz tub for about 8 cookies)
- Pure maple syrup, to taste
- Vanilla extract, to taste
- Your favorite brightly colored fruit, nuts, seeds, herbs, etc…
- I used dragonfruit, star fruit, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pumpkin seeds, and pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out your cookie dough until it’s about 1/4th inch thick. You can roll it out on a lightly floured surface, or between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper, if it’s sticky. Use an Easter egg cookie cutter to cut out as many easter egg shapes as you can out of the dough. You may have to do a few batches, depending on how big your cookie sheet is. You can make as many or as few egg shaped cookies as you need. The recipe I used made 12-13 cookies.
- Place the dough in the oven and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer cookies to a cooling rack, and allow to cool fully. Repeat with the remaining dough until finished.
- Add the softened mascarpone or cream cheese to a medium-sized bowl and add pure maple syrup and vanilla extract, to taste. You can make it as sweet as you like. Powdered sugar can also be mixed in for sweetness, or you could use a cream cheese frosting. Mix until completely combined.
- Use a spoon to carefully spread the mascarpone cheese all over the cookies, and then use a knife to even it out. Shortbread cookies can be a little fragile so make sure the cream spread is at room temperature so it’s easier to spread. If your cookies have any bubbles, you can use the other side, which was against the cookie sheet, that should be completely flat.
- You can cut the fruits into different shapes and plan how you want to decorate each cookie. It’s fun to play around with different fruit combinations and flavors. Feel free to use any other edible ingredients you like. These are best when enjoyed shortly after making, as the pie crust can get a bit soggy if stored overnight. Have fun and enjoy!
Notes
This recipe is really versatile and can easily be customized to your own taste preferences. Instead of shortbread, you can use sugar cookie dough or puff pastry. And, rather than mascarpone, you can use cream cheese, vanilla frosting, whipped cream, icing or even something like peanut butter.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Snack
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
