Soft and Chewy Strawberry Sandwich Cookies
Chewy, soft, and packed with real strawberry flavor, these sandwich cookies are anything but ordinary. Freeze-dried strawberries give them their bold berry punch and that gorgeous pink color, all without a drop of food coloring or soggy texture. It’s the kind of cookie that actually tastes as good as it looks.
Servings 20
Calories 504kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temp
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
Filling:
- 2 cups freeze-dried strawberries
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temp
- ½ cup butter room temp
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cookies:
- With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch and salt. Slowly add to the butter mixture on low speed and mix until combined. Break up the strawberries into small pieces. Gently mix in the strawberries, just enough to disburse but not so much that they bleed into the dough.
- Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 minutes so that it is soft enough to form into balls but not as soft as it was when you made the dough. Use an ice cream scoop to form into balls
- Preheat oven to 325º. Place the balls on a parchment covered baking sheets. Gently press down with the palm of your hand to slightly flatten.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are slightly browned, the centers will appear soft. Allow to cool on the pan for a couple of minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Frosting:
- In a food processor process the freeze-dried strawberries until they are powdery. Add butter and cream cheese and process until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and process. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time until it is smooth and creamy.
Assemble:
- Let the frosting chill for a few minutes then pipe or spread it onto 1 cookie and place another cookie on top. Let chill until the frosting sets.
Notes
Yield: Makes 10 large sandwich cookies or 18 small sandwich cookies. If making them smaller, decrease the cooking time to 11-12 minutes.
Storage: The cookies will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter for 5-10 minutes before eating.
Make-Ahead Option
You can make the dough 1-2 days ahead of time and keep it chilled in the fridge. Let the dough sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before scooping and baking.
