Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Prep strawberries: 

1. Chop up the strawberries finely and then add the lemon juice and sugar to them and stir well. Cover and soak them for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, strain and set aside 

Prep Filling (Optional)

1. Cream together about 4 oz of cream cheese with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar (and strained strawberry juice). Line a baking sheet or plate (that can fit in your freezer) with some parchment paper.
2. Scoop 1 teaspoon of this filling onto the sheet - repeat so you have 12 tiny cream cheese "balls". Throw this in the freezer for while you make the dough 

Prepare Dough

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Sift the baking powder and salt in with the all purpose flour. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the two sugars - the consistency should be pliable and soft (I typically use the paddle attachment in my stand mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer or cream by hand - see recipe notes for doing this by hand) 
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract to this mixture. Then, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until it's a smooth dough 
4. Strain the strawberries one more time and then add to the dough - fold gently taking care not to mash up the strawberries (if you want an extra fruity taste, you can add up to ¾ cup) 

Bake Cookies (No Filling Version)

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Just scoop out roughly a 1.5 tablespoons of dough and roll into a smooth ball and place them on the baking sheet. Note: Make sure to leave 1-2" between each ball to ensure that they have space to spread!
2. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes - the cookie will look and feel "soft and fluffy" but it should be done (check the bottom to see if it's harder and browned as an additional check)

Bake Cookies (With Filling!)

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat 
2. Remove the cream cheese balls from the freezer.
3. Scoop roughly 1.5 tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball, and flatten into a "small pancake" on the palm of your hand. Place a cream cheese ball at the center and crimp the edges so it reforms into a rough ball. Smooth it out into a ball like shape to the best extent possible and place on the baking sheet - repeat with the rest of the dough until you have 12 cookies  
4. Bake at 350°F for about 20-22 minutes and check the bottom to see if it's browned and a bit harder (the rest of the cookie will be fluffy) - enjoy the deliciousness!