Cookie Cups with Lemon Thyme-Scented Berry Compote

From EatingWell: Summer 2003 — Subscribe Now!

Crisp wafers filled with just-picked berries and ice cream make an elegant dessert. Lemon thyme leaves give the compote a unique fragrance; whole sprigs make a lovely garnish. This is a special-occasion dessert, but you can simplify it by omitting the cookie cups: the compote is delicious over ice cream or sorbet.

Cookie Cups with Lemon Thyme-Scented Berry Compote Recipe

6 servings

Active Time: 1 1/2 hours

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

Cookie Cups with Lemon Thyme-Scented Berry Compote

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Compote

4 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme leaves
3 cups mixed fresh berries, (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
2 tablespoons creme de cassis, or black currant syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat vanilla ice cream, lemon sorbet or raspberry sorbet, slightly softened before serving
Lemon thyme sprigs for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Coat parchment with cooking spray.
To prepare cookie cups: Whisk flour, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Whisk egg whites, sugar, butter, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients and whisk until blended.
For each cookie cup, spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons batter onto a prepared baking sheet, allowing 2 cookies per baking sheet. With an offset metal spatula, spread each mound of batter into a 5 1/2- to 6-inch circle.
Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until golden brown around the edges, 8 to 12 minutes. Have ready two 12-ounce custard cups (or similar bowls with a 3-inch base). As soon as the cookies are done, loosen from parchment with a wide metal spatula, then set inside the cups. Gently press each cookie into the bottom of the cup and pleat the sides to form a tulip shape. (If cookies become too brittle to shape, return them to the oven for a minute or two to soften.)
To prepare compote: Place lemon thyme in a mortar or small bowl; bruise with a pestle or wooden spoon to release its fragrance. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup berries and mash with a fork. Add creme de cassis (or black currant syrup), lemon juice and sugar, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add remaining berries and stir gently to coat with sauce.
To assemble desserts: Place cookie cups on individual plates. Fill each with a scoop of ice cream (or sorbet), spoon on compote and garnish with lemon thyme sprigs.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If cookies soften, crisp in a 325°F oven for about 5 minutes.

The cookies are pliable only while hot, so work quickly. Have a wide metal spatula and two 12-ounce custard cups (or similar bowls) ready before baking.

Nutrition

Per serving: 217 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 14 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 4 g fiber; 68 mg sodium; 192 mg potassium.

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 fruit, 1 fat