Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Buttery strawberry shortbread cookies made with freeze-dried strawberries and finished with a smooth strawberry glaze.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups freeze-dried strawberries measured then blended to a powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon freeze-dried strawberries finely processed to a powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the 1 1/2 cups blended freeze-dried strawberry powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste to the butter mixture and mix until evenly combined and pink.
- Add the 2 cups all-purpose flour in 2 additions, mixing on low speed just until a soft dough forms.
- Drizzle in the 2 tablespoons milk and mix briefly until the dough holds together when pressed and feels tender but not sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper and pat it into a flat rectangle.
- Lightly dust a rolling pin and the top of the dough with flour, then roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or other cutter to cut out cookies and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each cookie.
- Gather the dough scraps, press them together, reroll once or twice, and continue cutting cookies until all the dough is used.
- Bake the cookies for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges look set and the bottoms are just barely golden.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- For the glaze, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, and 1 tablespoon finely processed freeze-dried strawberry powder in a small bowl until smooth and pourable.
- Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze or spoon the glaze over the tops, letting excess drip back into the bowl, then place the cookies on parchment paper to set.
- Allow the glaze to firm at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving or storing the cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- If the dough feels too sticky to roll, chill it for 15 to 20 minutes before rolling and cutting.
- For sharper cookie edges, dip the cutter in flour between cuts and press straight down without twisting.
- For sharper cookie edges, dip the cutter in flour between cuts and press straight down without twisting.