Summer is almost over! I haven't been this excited about a season ending since that one time I got woefully addicted to Big Brother and was emotionally invested in the lives of some of the worst humans I've ever seen on TV ever. It's not because I hate summer, really, but mostly because ya girl (me) is about to join the throng of basics and go HAM on fall fashionz and butternut squash everything and probably also premature scarf wearing. I'm low key a little upset about having to retire my Bay Watch inspired beach outfits and slow-motion running that I've spent years practicing, but I'm really really mostly only going to miss walking into the farmers market (or like Whole Foods lol) and seeing piles of peaches and plums and nectarines. With the exception of a few of our closest friends, stone fruits are my favorite fruits in the whole world and I'm kinda bummed to have to wait a year until they're at their peak again.

It's fine though, because Matt is already talking about all the brandy cocktails he'll be making for our weekly happy hour, and I'm dreaming of twirling around our home as it becomes filled with the smells of mulled wine and cider while performing my own personal Stevie Nicks drag concert. Cinnamon and nutmeg and hot chocolate and sweaters for us and ohmygod sweaters for Fox (!!!). What a life.

But before all of the above things happen, there's still some time to take the last few pieces of stone fruit from the store and turn them into something that's truly wonderful. This recipe is kind of a fun last hoorah, a farewell of sorts, to my beloved rounded stone fruit babes. They're getting roasted in just a little sugar and salt and piled into a jar with some buttery and crumbly matcha shortbread cookies, and a little cheesecake cream (basically the same one we made for our fig bars a couple weeks ago!). It's my version of a cheesecake cup and it's got all the flavors and textures you want: fruity, buttery, velvety, crunchy - and actually pretty freaking simple to make. You can find the full recipe below! Enjoy, cuties and happy end of summer to you!

Matcha Shortbread Cheesecake Cups

prep time: 1.5 hours // cook time: 20 minutes // makes 3 - 6 servings*

for the matcha shortbread cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Aiya Cooking Grade Matcha
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened and at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted to remove lumps or impurities

for the cheesecake cream

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature and soft
2 tablespoons coconut cream or heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

for the roasted fruit

2 - 3 whole stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines!)
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
1 teeny tiny pinch of salt

This recipe has multiple parts, but I'd recommend doing the cookies first and while the cookies are chilling before they bake, prepare the fruit and cheesecake cream.

To begin the cookies, sift together the flour, matcha, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a medium bowl with a hand-held mixer), cream the butter and powdered sugar on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Turn the speed to low and mix in half of the dry mix, letting it become fully incorporated before mixing in the other half, scraping down the bowl as needed.
The dough will most likely be sticky and kind of loose, but do your best to form it into a compounded log about 6" long and 2" thick (basically you want it to look like one of those store-bought cookie dough tubes) and wrap tightly in plastic wrap*. Refrigerate for at least one hour but up to overnight. *If you're doing this all at once, now is a good time to jump to steps 8 and 9 while the dough chills*
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a super sharp knife, carefully cut the cookie dough log into 1/4" thick cross-sections (the cookies!).
Gently place the cookies onto the baking sheet and pop back in the fridge for 15 more minutes. Now is a good time to go ahead and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
After the cookies have finished their second chill, bake for 10 - 12 minutes, at which point they should be slightly puffy and golden-brownish around the edges. Let cool completely before using in the cookie cups.
To make the cheesecake cream, add all ingredients (reserving 1 tablespoon of coconut cream or heavy cream - you may not need it) to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a mixing bowl with a hand-held mixer), and beat for 4 to 5 minutes until smooth and fluffy. If the cream is too thick, add the remaining coconut cream or heavy cream and beat for another 30 seconds. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the final dessert.
To make the roasted fruit, turn your oven broiler to high and line a baking sheet with a lip (to prevent liquid running off the edge) with parchment paper. Slice the stone fruit into uniform-sized slices. Toss the sliced fruit in a mixing bowl with the oil and half of the raw sugar. Layer onto the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with remaining sugar, and broil for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before using.
To assemble the cups, crush up 1/3 of the cookies and evenly distribute between the three 12 oz jars (or more, if you're using smaller jars). Add a heap of the cheesecake cream followed by a few pieces of roasted fruit. Repeat until you've used all of your components. I like to finish these guys with a little cheesecake cream and a sprinkle of the crumbled cookies for garnish.

Notes

*The number of serving made will depend on size of the jar you use. We used 12 oz Mason jars, but 4, 6, or 8 oz jars are also a great option for smaller serving sizes!

*If you have a hard time forming a log with the dough, let it chill for half an hour in the fridge and try again. Once it's firmed up a little it should be easier to form. After it's been formed into a log, let chill for the remaining thirty minutes.

Thanks a ton to Aiya Matcha for sponsoring this post! As always, all opinions are our own.

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Roasted Stone Fruit Matcha Shortbread Cups