Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
I don't usually care for traditional strawberry shortcake. I find the bitterness that the baking powder gives the biscuits incredibly offputting and not worth my time or calories. The idea behind them is fantastic however, if only I could find a way to get the taste just right by amping up the sweet and eliminating the bitter.
We've had such an early abundance of strawberries this year and I was beginning to fall short on ideas for using them. My son's school's "Spring Fair" was last weekend and when they called for baked goods to raise money, I couldn't help but try to incorporate some of my delicious berries into something they could easily divvy up and sell. I saw a recipe from Martha a couple of years ago for strawberry shortcake cookies and decided to try to duplicate them.
OH!! EM!! GEEE!!
They were absolutely delicious....and totally addicting. Having the strawberries and cream incorporated into the cookie itself is genius and there was no bitterness, only sweet deliciousness. The only down side to these cookies is that they really should be eaten the same day they are made. Day 2 left them with no crunch and slightly soggy. I can't wait to make these cookies again and again this summer!
Ingredients:
12 oz diced fresh strawberries
zest and juice of one small Meyer lemon
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
2/3 cup heavy cream
turbinado sugar
Directions:
In a medium bowl, remove the stems from the strawberries and cut them into a small dice. Add lemon zest, juice, 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees on Convection Bake setting. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Using a pastry cutter, incorporate the butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Stir in heavy cream and once mostly incorporated, add strawberries.
Using {clean} hands, get in there and mix in the strawberries and cream until mixture is pretty uniform.
Using a cookie scoop, place mounds of dough onto the ungreased parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
Sprinkle each cookie mound with turbinado sugar and place them in the oven for 18-22 minutes. When the cookies are golden brown along the outer edges, remove from oven and gently transfer them to a cooling rack.
Once cookies are cool, place in an airtight container or ziplocking bag to help keep them fresh before serving.
YUMMO