Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Include fruit in your cookies for natural sweetness. Choose from fruit-and-nut cookies, lemon bars, lime meltaways, and more. These tender cookies are made with cream and studded with sweet strawberries for a portable version of a classic dessert.

12 oz strawberries, hulled and cut into ¼” dice (2 cups)
1 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ cup + 1 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. coarse sea salt
3 oz (6 Tbsp.) butter, cold, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).

Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 Tbsp. sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 Tbsp. sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.

Using a 1½” ice cream scoop or a Tbsp., drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Makes about 3 dozen.