Strawberry Sugar Cookies get a sweet, candy-like strawberry flavor from two types of strawberry flavoring and are chewy, tender, and wonderfully low-maintenance: no chilling, no waiting, just bake.
These cookies are the alter egos of my Strawberry Jam Shortbread cookies which are crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth. They are chewy, slightly sweeter, and no rolling pin is involve: only a large bowl and a cookie scoop.
Key Ingredients
The complete recipe is at the bottom of this post, here is a quick recap of the essential ingredients, their role and substitutions when possible.
- Strawberry extract. These cookies get their flavor from strawberry extract: sweet, candy-like, and without the artificial aftertaste. I don’t usually take shortcuts, but this one is my nostalgic exception. In Israel, strawberry season is barely three weeks long, so extract was how we added berry magic.
- Strawberry preserves. Homemade or store bought, it helps the cookies spread, and adds a beautiful marbled appearance. It adds a mild strawberry flavor.
- Melted Butter. When we incorporate melted butter, we reduce the amount of air incorporated into the dough, giving it a denser, chewy texture.
- Egg yolk. It gives the cookie its chewy and signature sugar cookie texture. Adding a whole egg, will result in a slightly puffier cookies, and less chewy.
- Baking soda and baking powder. When baking soda reacts with an acid, like brown sugar, it works as a leavener. Without that acid in this recipe, its role shifts: it helps the cookies spread. A small amount of baking powder adds a bit of lift, giving the cookies a tender texture.
Make It
This is an easy, straight forward recipe that calls for one bowl, a whisk, rubber spatula and a cookie scoop. Below are step by step images for a visual cues, and my tips, tricks and lessons I learned as tested and developed this recipe.
- Make sure the melted butter is not hot, or it might cook the egg yolk. I melt the butter in the microwave using 30 seconds increments, and stop when most of the butter is melted but a few small chucks.
- Mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a separate bowl before adding it to the butter mixture. Its the best way to ensure an even distribution.
- Add the strawberry preserves in two additions: the first half way into mixing the flour mixture, and the second after about 4 strokes of the folding it into the batter using a rubber spatula.
- Don’t be tempted to add more strawberry preserves: it will cause the cookies to spread, and blend into an unattractive brownish color.
- Use a round cookie cutter to swirl the cookies for a symmetric shape. You may not need to for every cookie, but some may spread unevenly where the preserves melts and pushes the batter outwards.
Yields, Baking
This recipe makes 15 medium cookies using cookie scoop #50 (1.5 tablespoons), the bigger the scoop the more the cookies will spread, and the longer they will need to bake.
You oven is different than mine, and I recommend to test 1-2 cookies at 350°F, if they don’t spread reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. If they spread too much, increase the temperature to 375°F. The cookies are ready when the edges are slightly brown and the center is puffed. Avoid over baker, it will tighten the cookies and make them over chewy.
Storing
Store at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze in a freeze bag for up to three weeks.
Strawberry Sugar Cookies | Scoop & Bake
Ingredients
- 2/3 Cup (160g) Unsalted melted butter
- 3/4 Cup (150g) Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Strawberry extract
- 1 Large Egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 Cups (240g) All-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1/3 Cup (100g) Strawberry Preserves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Pour the melted butter (160g) into a large bowl, the mix in the sugar (150g)
- Mix in the egg yolk, and strawberry extract (1 teaspoon).
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour (240g) and baking soda (3/4 teaspoon), then add it to the butter mixture.
- Stir the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture half way. You should have about half of the flour still dry and unmixed.
- Add 1/2 of strawberry preserves (50g), then use a rubber spatula to fold it in following by the rest of the preserves. Do not over mix you want to incorporate chunks of preserves into the dough, not mixed it in completely.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon #50), to scoop the dough and place four dough balls over the prepared pan.
- Bake over the middle oven rack for 10-12 minutes until the cookies have spread, and slightly golden at the edges.
- Remove from the oven and use a round cookie cutter to swirl the cookies at the center for a symmetric shape. Allow the cookies to chill and set.
- Bake the rest of the dough, one pan at a time.
Notes
- This recipe yields 15 medium cookies when using a #50 scoop (1.5 tablespoons). A larger scoop will give you wider cookies and a longer bake time.
- Every oven behaves differently, so I recommend test-baking 1–2 cookies at 350°F.
• If they don’t spread, lower the temperature to 325°F.
• If they spread too much, raise it to 375°F. - The cookies are ready when the edges are lightly golden and the centers look puffed. Don’t over bake, it tightens the crumb and makes them overly chewy.
- Make sure the melted butter isn’t hot or it may cook the egg yolk. I melt mine in the microwave in 30-second bursts and stop when most is melted but a few small pieces remain.
- Resist the urge to add extra preserves; too much will make the cookies spread and turn the color muddy.
- Use a round cookie cutter to ‘swirl’ the cookies for a more uniform shape. You won’t need it for every cookie, but some may spread unevenly where the preserves melt and nudge the dough outward.
