Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Sparkling Strawberry Sugar
These Strawberry Sugar Cookies are a delightful twist on the classic sugar cookie, bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and a hint of sparkle. The freeze-dried strawberry powder intensifies the berry taste, while the sparkling sugar adds a festive touch, making these cookies perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re baking for a holiday, a special event, or simply to brighten someone’s day, these cookies are sure to be a hit. The recipe is designed to be straightforward and easy to follow, ensuring even novice bakers can achieve perfect results.
Ingredients:
For the Strawberry 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
- 6 tablespoons (36g) freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure strawberry extract (like Amoretti Artisan Natural Wild Strawberry or Cooks)
- ½ teaspoon red gel food coloring
For the Sparkling Strawberry Sugar:
- ½ cup white or red sparkling sugar (sanding sugar)
- 1 tablespoon freeze-dried strawberry powder
Preparation:
Step 1: Prepare the Freeze-Dried Strawberry Powder
To begin, you’ll want to ensure your freeze-dried strawberries are ground into a fine powder. This powder is what gives the cookies their intense strawberry flavor and beautiful color. If you purchased pre-ground strawberry powder, you can skip this step. Otherwise, place your freeze-dried strawberries in a high-speed blender, food processor, or spice grinder. Process until they are completely pulverized into a fine powder. This may take a few minutes, depending on the strength of your appliance. Be patient and stop occasionally to scrape down the sides to ensure all pieces are ground evenly. Once you have a fine powder, set it aside.
Step 2: Make the Sparkling Strawberry Sugar
Next, you’ll prepare the sparkling strawberry sugar, which will coat the cookies and add a delightful crunch and sweetness. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of white or red sparkling sugar (also known as sanding sugar) with 1 tablespoon of the freeze-dried strawberry powder you prepared in the previous step. Stir thoroughly until the powder is evenly distributed throughout the sugar, giving it a beautiful pink hue and a burst of strawberry flavor. Store this mixture in an airtight container until you are ready to use it. This step can be done in advance to save time later.
Step 3: Preheat Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Ensuring your oven is at the correct temperature is crucial for even baking and the perfect cookie texture. While the oven is preheating, prepare your baking sheets. Line them with parchment paper. Parchment paper prevents the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet and makes for easy cleanup. It also helps the cookies bake evenly by providing a non-stick surface that distributes heat uniformly. Set the prepared baking sheets aside.
Step 4: Prepare the Cookie Dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. The butter should be softened but still cool to the touch, not melted. Creaming the butter and sugar together is a critical step in creating light and fluffy cookies. Continue mixing until the mixture is light in color and fluffy in texture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is evenly combined.
Step 5: Add Wet Ingredients
Once the butter and sugar are properly creamed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature, as this helps them incorporate more easily into the batter and creates a smoother dough. After both eggs are fully incorporated, blend in the vanilla extract, strawberry extract, and red gel food coloring until fully combined. The strawberry extract will enhance the strawberry flavor, and the red gel food coloring will give the cookies a lovely pink hue. Use gel food coloring rather than liquid, as it is more concentrated and won’t change the consistency of the dough.
Step 6: Mix Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and the remaining 6 tablespoons of freeze-dried strawberry powder. Whisking the dry ingredients ensures that they are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which helps the cookies bake evenly. The cornstarch helps to create a tender cookie texture, while the baking powder and baking soda provide leavening. Cream of tartar helps to keep the cookies soft and chewy.
Step 7: Combine Ingredients
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, blending on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough, as this can develop the gluten in the flour and result in tough cookies. Mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated, leaving a few streaks of flour if necessary. These will disappear as the dough chills. Overmixing is a common mistake that can ruin the texture of your cookies, so be gentle and stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.
Step 8: Chill Dough
Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight. Chilling the dough is essential for several reasons. First, it allows the gluten in the flour to relax, which results in a more tender cookie. Second, it firms up the butter, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking. Finally, chilling the dough allows the flavors to meld together, resulting in a more flavorful cookie. If chilling overnight, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before scooping.
Step 9: Form Cookie Balls
Once the dough is chilled, it’s time to form the cookie balls. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) again. Scoop the dough into 30 medium-sized cookie balls using a cookie scoop. A cookie scoop ensures that the cookies are uniform in size, which helps them bake evenly. Roll each ball in your hands to smooth out any cracks and create a round shape. Then, roll the cookie balls in the prepared Sparkling Strawberry Sugar to coat them evenly. The sparkling sugar will adhere to the dough and create a beautiful, festive look.
Step 10: Bake
Place the cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spaced at least 2 inches apart. This spacing is important because the cookies will spread slightly during baking. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are just beginning to set and the edges are lightly golden. Be careful not to overbake the cookies, as they will continue to bake on the hot baking sheet after they are removed from the oven. The ideal cookie will be soft and slightly underbaked for a chewy texture.
Step 11: Cool
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. This allows the cookies to firm up slightly and prevents them from breaking when you move them. Once the cookies are completely cool, they are ready to be enjoyed or stored.
Step 12: Store
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Storing them in an airtight container will help to keep them fresh and prevent them from drying out. If you choose to refrigerate them, they may become slightly firmer, but they will still taste delicious. Enjoy these Strawberry Sugar Cookies with a glass of milk, a cup of coffee, or simply on their own as a sweet treat. They are perfect for sharing with friends and family or for indulging in a little bit of homemade goodness.
