Description
Delight in the buttery, crumbly goodness of Strawberry Shortbread Cookies, enhanced with the natural fruit flavor of finely crushed freeze-dried strawberries. These cookies are easy to make and perfect for anyone craving a simple yet delicious dessert with a fruity twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries, finely crushed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Optional Topping
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar using a mixer or whisk until the mixture is light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Add Vanilla Extract: Mix in the vanilla extract thoroughly to infuse the dough with its aromatic flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, finely crushed freeze-dried strawberries, and cornstarch. This ensures even distribution of the dry components and fruit flavor.
- Mix Dry Ingredients into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the creamed butter and sugar, stirring until just combined into a soft dough to avoid overmixing.
- Chill the Dough: Form the dough into a log shape, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This step firms the dough for easier slicing or rolling.
- Shape Cookies: After chilling, slice the dough log into ¼-inch thick rounds or roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to your desired shape.
- Prepare for Baking: Arrange the cookie rounds or cutouts on the prepared baking sheet. Optionally, sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar for added sweetness and texture.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn a light golden color, indicating they are cooked through but still tender.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, which helps them set for the perfect shortbread texture.
Notes
- Crushed freeze-dried strawberries add real fruit flavor without adding moisture, which helps maintain the shortbread texture.
- You can substitute the freeze-dried strawberries with raspberry or blueberry freeze-dried fruit for a different fruity variation.
- If using salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the added salt to ¼ teaspoon to avoid over-salting the dough.
