How Martha Stewart Reinvented Brandy Snaps As A Sweet Dessert Cup

If you're ever in need of culinary inspiration, search Martha Stewart's name. The media mogul is the culinary O.G. of making pretty much everything she touches a thing, including her reinvention of the brandy snap. Brandy snaps are made from an eggless cookie recipe which is popular in the United Kingdom, especially around Christmas time. What makes them truly unique is they can be molded into a cup or a cone to hold a lovely bit of cream and berries, ice cream, chocolate, or even a bit of preserves.

Brandy snaps begin their existence as a flat cookie. According to Stewart's website, they are made on the stovetop by bringing some sweet ingredients to a boil, starting with sugar, molasses — although in the U.K., they use golden syrup– and butter. Additionally, a little brandy and flour are added along with some warm spices like ginger and cinnamon and a little citrus zest. The batter is formed into circular medallions and baked, and while they are still warm and malleable, they are twisted about a spoon handle to make a cone or an orange to give it the shape of a bowl. This transformed cookie is then filled with whipping cream.

This crispy tube that may remind you of a cannoli, but tastes way better is not without its hazards for its creator. As your brandy snaps cool, they begin to harden. Hardening is a necessary stop and can take anywhere from three to five minutes, but you need to remove them from the baking pan when you can peel them up but they don't break apart or tear. If you leave them too long, they are never coming up! Keep in mind that the edges tend to solidify first so take care not to poke a finger in the middle of yours as you pull one up to form your cones or bowls. 

Brandy snaps are truly versatile, which might be why Stewart likes to use them for fancy desserts and serve fruity sorbets in these brandy snap cups. You can make a sweet key lime cream, a chocolate mousse, a Chantilly cream, or even a honey whipped cream to change up the taste of this treat. But don't be confined by convention. A Nutella cream and your favorite berries or citrus would taste equally as good.