Strawberry and Cream Cookies

I was looking for summery cookies to bake and when I start looking, I can find all sorts of interesting recipes that I want to try! I have to balance my desire to bake with the fact that I have more free time and also the fact that the house is fairly warm. I try to find recipes that I can bake first thing in the morning, before it is too hot, and that will only use the oven for a short time.

These strawberry and cream cookies sounded perfect for summer, which was exactly what I had been looking for. There is an abundance of fruit in the summer, but it is difficult to use fresh fruit in cookie baking as fruits contain so much liquid. Once in a while you can make a quick jam with fruit, but that’s about it. These cookies use freeze-dried strawberries, which are now readily available at the store. They add the flavor of strawberries without some of the other complications.

I ended up making half a recipe (again, making sure the oven wasn’t on too long), and you do want to note the freeze-dried strawberry quantity. The half recipe used the smaller bag that I got at the store, about 25 grams. It seems like it should weigh more but it doesn’t, and you don’t want to have too many strawberries. I also had slightly less than the quantity of cream cheese, as I thought I had more on hand than I did, but it didn’t make much of a difference. These cookies are soft, but the flavor of the strawberries can’t be beat!

Strawberry and Cream Cookies
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups freeze-dried strawberries (about 45 grams)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium until smooth. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the egg and vanilla, stirring to incorporate.

With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture, stirring until the dough almost comes together. Add the white chocolate and the freeze-dried strawberries and turn the mixer on and off to distribute them into the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Scoop the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls of dough and place on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for about 12 minutes, until the cookies are slightly browned along the bottom edges. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction