Table of Contents
It’s awe-inspiring, taking an entire tray of pink, perfectly golden, crumbly cookies straight from the oven – those that look as if they came straight from a premium patisserie window. The kind you take photos of before eating. The kind that makes someone o ask, “Wait, you made these yourself? “
Imagine doing all of it in less than 30 minutes using the ingredients you likely already have at your table.
This is precisely what these easy strawberry shortbread cookies provide every time. No matter if you’re making them to make a Valentine’s Day treat, a Mother’s Day gift, a birthday party, or just because it’s a Tuesday and you need something gorgeous, this recipe is sure to become the most requested recipe within all of the recipes.
No complex techniques. There is no freezing for hours. There’s no fancy equipment. Simply a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth-smooth shortbread bursting with strawberry flavour and coated with a stunning pink glaze that appears like it required a lot of skill; however, it didn’t.
Let’s get started.
Why You’ll Fall in Love With These Easy Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
What Makes Shortbread Cookies So Special?
Shortbread has been a hit with people for centuries in Scotland, and frankly, it doesn’t need to be altered significantly since then. The appeal of shortbread stems from its simplistic nature — sugar, butter and flour combining to create something spongy and rich that is irresistible.
What makes shortbread different from regular butter cookies is the ratio of flour to fat. Shortbread is made with a lot more butter that covers the flour’s proteins and stops gluten from forming. What does this mean? A cookie that melts when it comes in contact with your tongue. No chewiness. There’s no roughness. Simply soft buttery flavor with each bite.
If you add strawberries to the base, something remarkable occurs. The mild tartness of the fruit cuts across the creamy richness of the butter, resulting in a balanced flavor that is deeply satisfying but not excessive.
Why Freeze-Dried Strawberries Are a Game Changer
The truth is that the use of fresh strawberry juice in your shortbread recipe is not very effective. Fresh strawberries are loaded with water, which affects the design of the dough and makes it sticky, unstable, and susceptible to spreading all over the baking sheet.
Freeze-dried strawberries, however, are a total delight for bakers. If you grind them to a powder, they impart a strong fruity flavor that is concentrated in every bite. They also give the dough a stunning blush-pink color, without even the use of any artificial dye. There are freeze-dried strawberries available in most supermarkets, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or on the internet. When you begin baking with them, you’ll be wondering what you could have done without them.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Full Ingredient List
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 2 cups | Sifted for best texture |
| Butter that is salted but not salted | One cup (2 sticks) | Then it was softened until room temperature |
| Powdered sugar | 1/2 cup | Creates lighter, crumblier texture |
| Freeze-dried strawberries | 1/2 cup | Condensed into fine powder |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp | Pure vanilla recommended |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp | Balances sweetness |
| Food coloring pink | Optional | For a deeper pink hue |
For the Strawberry Glaze
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Powdered sugar | 1 cup | Sifted |
| Strawberry powder | 1 tbsp | From crushed freeze-dried, frozen strawberries |
| Milk or heavy cream | 2-3 Tbsp | Adjust to ensure the desired consistency |
| Vanilla extract | 1/4 tsp | Optional, but suggested |
Ingredient Swaps & Substitutions
One of the most appealing aspects of this recipe is how adaptable it can be. There’s no need to head to a specialist retailer if you’re lacking something. practical tips you can apply in everyday life. From boosting confidence’s how to modify it:
- Gluten-free version: swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour mix. Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur are both excellent options that perform almost the same way as regular shortbread flour.
- Vegan alternative: Use a plant-based butter such as Miyoko’s Creamery or Earth Balance in place of dairy butter. Make sure that it’s a stick-shaped butter that is not spread to get the correct fat percentage.
- Lower sugar alternative substitute powdered sugar for powdered monk fruit sweetener in a 1:1 ratio to create an improved sugar-free version.
- Vanilla extract is not required. A tiny amount of almond extract is wonderful with strawberries and creates a macaroon-like smell.
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
It doesn’t require a specialized kitchen to accomplish these. We explore the fascinating world of the mind—breaking down psychology concepts into simple’s what you’ll need to prepare:
Essential tools:
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Two baking sheets, lining them with parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters of your choice in any shape (hearts, rounds, heart shapes or flowers work great)
- Rack for cooling
- Fine mesh sieve to sift
- A small mixing bowl to mix the glaze
Nice-to-have tools:
- A food processor helps crush frozen dried strawberries into a fine powder much quicker
- A kitchen scale can give you more precise measurements, and is especially useful for flour.
- A zip-lock bag or piping bag that has the corner cut off creates a glaze drizzling look elegant and professional.
How to Make Easy Strawberry Shortbread Cookies — Step by Step
Step 1 — Make Your Strawberry Powder
Begin by putting your freeze-dried strawberries in the food processor or in a zip-lock bag. In the case of a bag, close it up and use the rolling pin for crushing the berries to an extremely fine powder. After the berries have been crushed to a fine powder, the powder is filtered through a fine mesh sieve in order to eliminate any larger seeds or chunks that are difficult to remove.
You’ll have around 1/4 cup of powdered strawberries that is fine from 1 cup of fresh freeze-dried berries. You can reserve about 1 spoon of this powder to make your glaze, and then use the remainder in your dough.
Pro tip: Make a second amount of powdered strawberry, and keep the extra in an airtight container. It’s amazing when mixed into whipped cream, sprinkled on yogurt, or added to buttercream frosting.
Step 2 — Cream the Butter and Sugar
This is the basis of the cookie’s texture; therefore, give it the time it deserves. Put your room-temperature, soft butter in your mixing bowl and mix at medium speed for around 1 minute, to make it smooth and smooth. Then add the powdered sugar, and continue beating for two to three minutes or until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and noticeably lighter in hue.
What’s the reason? The correct way to cream creates tiny air pockets within the butter, which gives your cookies that distinctive softness of shortbread. The texture is a bit dense if you don’t cream it enough and over-creaming adds too much air and may cause cookies to puff in a unpleasant way. Try to find the sweet spot- light, pale and airy.
Add the vanilla extract now to mix and continue mixing for another 30 minutes.
Step 3 — Add the Dry Ingredients
When you’re using your mixer at a low speed, slowly introduce the sifted flour, strawberry powder along with salt and butter. Mix until the dough starts to blend. At the point that you don’t see any flour streaks, cease mixing.
When you work the dough too much, it develops gluten, which is a major factor in a great shortbread cookie. As you continue mixing the dough after the flour is added, the harder your cookies will turn out. Take your time, take it slow, and stop before the end of the day.
The dough should be smooth and soft and pale pink hue. If you’d like a darker pink, now is the perfect time to add a small amount of food coloring in pink and gently fold it into the dough.
Step 4 — Shape and Chill the Dough
Make your dough out on an area lightly sprayed with flour to gently flatten it down into an elongated disc. Then, roll it out to around 1/4 inch in thickness -it’s the perfect spot for a classic shortbread. If you make it too thin, your cookies will become dry. Too thick and the center will not bake evenly.
Utilize your cookie cutters to cut designs and then carefully transfer them onto your baking sheet lined with parchment. Once your shapes are cut, put them on the baking tray in your fridge for about 15 minutes.
Don’t skip this step. Chilling helps firm the butter that is in the dough, meaning that the cookies will keep their shape perfectly when baked instead of dispersing into puddles with no shape. It only takes 15 minutes, and can make a huge difference in the outcome.
Step 5 — Bake to Perfection
The oven should be preheated to 325°F (160 °C.). Lower temperatures are a deliberate choice Shortbread must bake slowly, baking to a perfect brown without smouldering.
Bake the cold cookies for 12-14 minutes. The goal is to find edges that have just solid, and the surface appears dry and matte. The cookies won’t turn golden brown like chocolate chip cookies will -which is perfectly normal. If the edges begin to brown evidently, they’re probably overbaked.
After the cookies have been removed from the oven, let them sit on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving them to the cooling rack. The shortbread can be very delicate when it’s hot. Moving them too quickly can result in them breaking or breaking.
Step 6 — Make the Glaze and Decorate
When your cookies are completely cool Make the glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, strawberry powder, and 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Add cream one teaspoon at a time until you get to an amount that stretches off the whisk in a slow, steady mannerenough to cover but not so thin that it’s difficult to drizzle.
Be sure that the cookies have completely cooled before glazing them. They should be completely cool, not warm. A warm cookie can cause the glaze to drip immediately and will not get properly set.
To create a professional and clean appearance, make sure you make sure to dip the tops of each cookie straight into the glaze, letting the excess drip off prior to placing the cookie onto the cooling rack. To give a more artistic look Transfer the glaze into a piping bag and then sprinkle it with patterns of zigzags over the tops of the cookies.
When the glaze is damp, you can add any decoration such as a tiny piece of frozen-dried strawberries, sprinkles of pink edible glitter, or even a small dried flower. When the glaze has set (about 20-30 minutes at room temperature), the cookies are baked.
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Results Every Time
Do’s and Don’ts
| DO | DON’T |
|---|---|
| Use butter at room temperature | Make use of cold or melted butter |
| Chill dough prior to cutting | Do not skip the chilling step |
| Pour the flour into the cup | Put the flour in a tightly packed cup |
| Use freeze-dried strawberries | Make use of freshly picked strawberries to make the dough. |
| Bake at a low temperature (325degF) | Bake at 350 degrees F or more. |
| Let the cookies cool completely prior to the glazing | Glaze cookies while they are still warm |
How to Fix Common Shortbread Problems
Even experienced bakers can run into problems. And building healthy habits is how to fix the most common issues:
- Cookies spread too widely -The dough was too warm when you put it in the oven. Be sure to chill it for a minimum of 15 minutes and ensure that your baking sheet isn’t hot from the previous batch.
- Cookies that are too hard – The problem is that you overcooked them, or you added too much flour. Keep in mind that they will firm up considerably as they cool so take them out when they appear slightly undercooked.
- Cookies are breaking up and crumbling. It’s possible that there wasn’t enough butter to hold everything together, or the cookies were taken away from the tray too quickly to settle.
- There is no pink hue in the final cookies. The strawberry’s natural color powder fades slightly over the course of baking. Make sure to use a large amount of powder, and think about adding a tiny amount of beet powder in order to enhance the natural color.
Creative Variations to Try
After you’ve perfected the base recipe The possibilities are endless, wonderfully. practical tips you can apply in everyday life. Among the boosting confidence are a few variations worth a look:
The ideas for seasonal and event-based concepts:
- Valentine’s Day: Heart-shaped with deep pink glaze and sprinkles of red
- Mother’s Day: Flower-shaped dipped in white chocolate and a delicate drizzle
- Christmas: Star-shaped, with white and red swirled glaze
- baby showers – round cookies made of pastel pink, with pearl sprinkles
Flavor twists
- Strawberry Lemon -1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice to your dough to give it a fresh, zesty flavor.
- Strawberry White Chocolate — Dip the cookies that are done in white chocolate, instead of glaze
- Strawberry Almond – You can replace half of the vanilla with almond extract to create a wonderfully aromatic variation
- Strawberry Lavender -Add half a teaspoon of culinary-grade fresh lavender to the dough to give it a refined and floral flavor.
How to Store, Freeze, and Gift Your Cookies
Storage Guide
| Method | Container | How Long |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Airtight container | For up to 7 days |
| Refrigerator | Sealed container | For up to 2 weeks |
| Freezer (baked cookies) | Zip-lock freezer bag | Three months or more |
| Freezer (raw dough) | Plastic wraps tightly around it. | Two months or more |
Gifting These Cookies
Few gifts made from scratch are more appealing than a gorgeous package of shortbread strawberries. to unlocking the secrets of human behavior’s how you can ensure that your gift looks like it’s as delicious as it is:
- Use clear treat bags secured with satin ribbons for an elegant and simple presentation
- Place cookies inside a cookie tin from the past, coated with parchment paper
- Make a small recipe card. People like to be capable of re-creating something they enjoy
- For shipping, sandwich cookies between parchment sheets and then cushion the edges of your box to avoid breakage
These cookies are perfect for teacher appreciation gifts, hostess presents, bridal shower favors, hampers for the holidays, and for just about every other occasion that you need to show someone that you love them.
Nutritional Information
| Nutrient | Per Cookie (1 of 24) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 118 calories |
| Total Fat | 7g |
| Saturated Fat | 4.5g |
| Carbohydrates | 13g |
| Sugar | 5g |
| Protein | 1g |
| Fiber | 0.3g |
| Sodium | 28mg |
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients you are using, as well as the dimensions of the cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Do I have to utilize fresh strawberries instead of frozen-dried strawberries in this strawberry shortbread cookie recipe? Fresh strawberries hold too much moisture and can make the dough sloppy and unstable. Freeze-dried strawberries are the best option here because they provide a concentrated flavor, gorgeous color, and no moisture that could affect the texture of the dough.
What caused these strawberry cookies expand too far during baking? The most common reason is that the butter was too hot, or the dough didn’t go through the chilling stage. The dough that is firm and cold when it goes into an oven that is properly heated provides clean, well-defined forms each time.
How can I get a brighter pink color for my cakes? Use a full 1/2 cup of strawberries that have been frozen, and make sure you don’t get too much powder. If you’re looking for a darker color, a tiny teaspoon of beet powder can work perfectly as a totally natural boost without altering the taste.
Can I prepare the dough ahead of time? Absolutely. The dough is able to sit in the fridge for up to 2 days, wrapped tightly. You can also store cookies unbaked and shaped on a flat tray, and then transfer them into bags — bake them directly from frozen. Just add two to three minutes to bake.
Are strawberry shortbread cookies suitable for gifting? They’re one of the most delicious cookies you could give away. They are well-constructed and have a long shelf life, are stunning and truly special and special, especially when they’re wrapped with care.
Do I have to make these shortbread strawberries without gluten? Yes, and they’ll turn out fantastic. You can use a 1:1 gluten-free mix following the recipe in the way it’s written. The texture may be less delicate; however, the taste and appearance remain the same.
Conclusion — Your New Favorite Cookie Is 30 Minutes Away
These easy strawberry shortbread cookies demonstrate that baking great does not have to be difficult or time-consuming. With the proper ingredients, a couple of easy methods, and only 30-minutes of time to make cookies that make people stop in their tracks.
They’re buttery. They’re crumbly. They’re packed with a fresh strawberry taste that shines out in each bite. They appear to fit in a bakery’s window. They’re yours to create gifts, share, and relish whenever you’re feeling the mood.
This recipe is a must-try this weekend — whether for someone special, or simply for you — and discover for yourself how just 30 minutes and a bag of frozen-dried strawberries could make.
If you make it, be sure to write a post about what you made. If you’re feeling generous about those gorgeous pink cookies, be sure to make sure to tag your creation so that people can locate the recipe as well. Add this post to your recipe bookmarks, so it’s accessible when someone comes to ask, “Wait, you made these yourself? “
You certainly did.
