Transform Boring Store-Bought Sugar Cookie Dough Into A New Dessert With Just A Few Ingredients

Sometimes, like late at night when a sweet tooth turns into a fang, something like store-bought cookie dough can feel like a futuristic miracle from straight out of "The Jetsons." At other moments, maybe when you're already planning to spend all day expertly building charcuterie boards and batch-making cocktails for a party, they can start to seem pretty paltry. Unadorned, store-bought sugar cookie dough, in particular, bakes up a little plain. But some light sculpting can make them into a versatile vehicle for all manner of more lively desserts.

To really zhuzh up those sugar cookies, turn them into shells. You will need a mini muffin tin to make and hold their shape, and once you've lined each cup with the dough you can bake them according to the package's instructions, cool, and pop them out for all kinds of creative, cookie crust applications. Because sugar is right there in the name, you'll just want to make sure you balance your flavors to avoid a sweetness overload.

Sugar cookie cups and ice cream seem like a match made in confectionery heaven, but you'll want to stay away from those otherwise exciting varieties with tons of additional sugary mix-ins like caramel and fudge. Stick to dynamic basics like chocolate and vanilla bean, instead, with a twirl of whipped cream and maybe a shake of rainbow sprinkles on top.

These sugar cookie cups are also excellent containers for a modified key lime pie or even cheesecake filling, tart and mild as those desserts typically are, respectively. Just three ingredients can create a no-bake cheesecake filling in the blink of a whisk. Being that these no-recipe recipes practically write themselves, fresh fruit or even compote would also be a winning addition to these back-of-the-envelope bites. And, should even a quick mix seem a little time consuming, something like a dollop of pistachio cream or lemon curd would round out the cookie shells' sweetness with a bit of elegance straight from a jar.