Description
These Strawberry Sugar Cookies are a delightful twist on the classic sugar cookie, infused with the natural flavor of freeze-dried strawberries and topped with sparkling strawberry sugar for a festive and flavorful finish. Perfectly soft and tender, these cookies are vibrant pink with a sweet strawberry aroma and a touch of vanilla, making them an irresistible treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Freeze-Dried Strawberry Powder
- 6 tablespoons (36g) freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 1 tablespoon freeze-dried strawberry powder (for sparkling sugar)
Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure strawberry extract (like Amoretti Artisan Natural Wild Strawberry or Cooks)
- ½ teaspoon red gel food coloring
Sparkling Strawberry Sugar
- ½ cup white or red sparkling sugar (sanding sugar)
- 1 tablespoon freeze-dried strawberry powder
Instructions
- Prepare the Freeze-Dried Strawberry Powder: Blend or process freeze-dried strawberries in a high-speed blender or spice grinder until they become a fine powder. Set aside for later use.
- Make the Sparkling Strawberry Sugar: Stir together 1 tablespoon of the freeze-dried strawberry powder with ½ cup of sparkling sugar. Store in an airtight container until ready to use for coating the cookies.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside for the cookie dough.
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then blend in the vanilla extract, strawberry extract, and red gel food coloring until evenly combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and 6 tablespoons of freeze-dried strawberry powder.
- Combine Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Chill Dough: Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. This makes the dough easier to handle and enhances the flavors.
- Form Cookie Balls: Once chilled, scoop the dough into 30 medium-sized cookie balls using a cookie scoop. Roll each ball between your hands, then roll them in the prepared sparkling strawberry sugar to coat evenly.
- Bake: Place the cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure they are spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the tops just begin to set.
- Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Chilling the cookie dough is crucial for texture and flavor development.
- Use room temperature eggs to ensure smooth blending into the dough.
- Do not overmix the dough to keep cookies soft and tender.
- Freshly ground freeze-dried strawberry powder gives a much stronger strawberry flavor than pre-packaged powders.
- Cookies can be frozen after baking for longer storage, thaw at room temperature before serving.
