Smiling and giggling my young twin daughters gleefully eyed plates piled high with pastel macarons and decadent cream filled pastry cups. It was their half birthday and they were officially four-and-a-half years old! Our little party was not overly lavish like those thrown by Marie Antoinette, but it was still quite festive. However, I think the infamous French Queen would have nodded in approval at my kids’ jewel encrusted crowns.
Observing half birthdays has become a tradition in my family. When I was little my dad decided we would start celebrating them as a way to help teach mathematics. My brother and I certainly liked the idea of learning fractions if cake was involved! Now I’m happy do this with my own kids. To mark this year’s occasion, I whipped up my Versailles Cream Cups.
Truthfully, I love any reason to celebrate and either gather or make treats. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, this past week I told my daughters we will start to recognize their Unbirthdays. Each twin will chose a different calendar date to be her official Unbirthday. Both of my girls will have their own special day.
“Mommy, can I have Wonder Woman plates,” asked my fair haired pixie.
“Sure, with matching cups too,” I replied.
“I want flying unicorns on mine,” stated my strawberry blonde sprite.
I imagine their soirées will not be the same and it will be fun to see what each child wants. But I’m sure there will be plenty of sweets at both gatherings. As Marie Antoinette supposedly declared, “Let them eat cake!”
Versailles Cream Cups
Ingredients
12 prebaked frozen mini phyllo pastry shells
12 chocolate chips
12 small mint leaves
3 strawberries
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glittery sugar sprinkles
Gold sugar pearls
First remove the frozen phyllo shells from the box and thaw for about 15 minutes. Next make the whipped cream. Put the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a chilled bowl. Then whisk on high with an electric mixer till soft peaks form. Cut the stems off the berries and slice the strawberries. Now cut the sliced berries in half.
Fill each phyllo cup with whipped cream. Put a mint leaf and a half a slice of a berry slightly into the whipped cream. Scatter sugar sprinkles in top of each filled cup. Place a chocolate chip next to each berry piece. Lastly, scatter sugar pearls on top.
Note: If you prefer an easier version, you can use store-bought whipped cream.
(You may want to be kind to your teeth and not eat the sugar pearls)
