Soft and Fluffy Strawberry Cookies with Vanilla Frosting
User Reviews
5
-
Servings
12
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Course
Baked Goods
Soft and Fluffy Strawberry Cookies with Vanilla Frosting
Description
The cookies combine cake flour with baking powder and salt for rise and structure, while freeze-dried strawberries are processed with sugar into a strawberry sugar to infuse fruit flavor throughout the dough. Butter and strawberry sugar are creamed until fluffy before eggs, sour cream, and vanilla are incorporated, producing a moist and slightly tangy batter. Optional red food coloring enhances the strawberry hue.
After mixing the dry ingredients in, the dough is chilled to improve handling and baking results. Balls of dough are pressed gently before baking at 350°F to achieve a tender crumb with light browning. The accompanying vanilla frosting mixes butter with powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt for balance. Cookies are garnished with sanding sugar and crushed freeze-dried strawberries to boost sweetness and texture contrast.
This recipe yields about 48 mini cookies or 24 standard-sized ones, suitable as a festive treat or for gifting, emphasizing a soft texture and strawberry flavor without fresh fruit.
Ingredients
cookies
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 egg large plus 1 large egg white, lightly beaten together
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 red food coloring optional, drops
frosting
- ½ cup butter unsalted, softened, 1 stick
- 1 pound powdered sugar sifted
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- salt pinch
toppings
- sanding sugar
- 2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberries roughly crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Place sugar and freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor and process together until finely ground.
- In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and strawberry sugar until soft and fluffy.
- Add beaten eggs and continue to mix together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sour cream and vanilla. Mix together (mixture will look lumpy and not entirely together). Add food coloring, if using, and mix together.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix together until everything is fully incorporated and completely combined.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap (directly on the surface) and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Roll 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough, using your hands and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment, about 1 inch apart. Using the bottom of a sterilized measuring cup or can, gently press the tops of each cookie down so they have a flat top.
- Bake cookies for about 9 minutes or just until they puff up and barely begin to brown along the bottom edges (the surface should still be pale and white).
- Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to completely cool.
- Frosting: Place all the ingredients into the well of a stand mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment) and beat together until soft and fluffy, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Once cookies have cooled completely, frost the tops with the frosting and finish with a sprinkle of sanding sugar and crushed freeze-dried strawberries. Serve.
Notes
- The recipe makes approximately 48 mini cookies or 24 larger cookies, depending on portion size.
- Chilling the dough for about 30 minutes helps maintain the cookie shape and improves texture.
- Use freeze-dried strawberries for natural strawberry flavor without adding moisture.
- Pressing the dough balls gently before baking ensures even cooking and a consistent shape.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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