Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Last night we had a ladies' event at church featuring a tutorial on how to make strawberry freezer jam (a project that I am super excited about taking on within the next two weeks). When asked to bring a refreshment, I began to look for something uniquely strawberry. After all, it was a night all about strawberries. Not wanting to spend too much money and wanting to use what I had in the pantry already, I found a recipe for strawberry shortcake cookies.

The original recipe come from Martha Stewart (I think), and I found it on wearenotmartha.com. Making a small tweek here and there, here's the recipe for you! Strawberry season is most definitely kicking it up here in the South, and this recipe is a great way to incorporate fresh strawberries to fill that sweet spot for your summer menu!

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. fresh strawberries sliced up into 1/4" chunks
• 1 teas. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tblsp. of sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teas. baking powder
• 1/2 teas. salt
• 6 Tablespoons of cold butter, unsalted
• 2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
• Sanding sugar (optional for garnishing the top of the cookie)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Slice strawberries into quarter inch pieces or smaller depending on your preference. 
3. Mix sliced strawberry chunks, lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons of the sugar in a separate bowl and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes. 
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Cut cold butter into small chunks. 
6. Add butter chunks to the flour mixture and knead in butter with hands until the mixture takes on a crumb-like appearance and you no longer feel clumps of butter. 
7. Add heavy cream to the mixture and knead or stir until dough forms. (Dough will seem very dry until strawberry mixture is added).
8. Add the strawberry mixture to the dough and work in well with hands.
9. Scoop dough mixture onto greased cookie sheet. 
10. Sprinkle sugar on top of unbaked cookies (sanding sugar or regular sugar).
11. Bake at 375 for 19 minutes. 
12. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes, and enjoy at will!

I saw a suggestion to try them warm with vanilla ice cream! Sounds amazing! 

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