Strawberry cookies

Fresh strawberries are everywhere these days, something we didn’t see as much a few years ago. Well, which better way is there to celebrate this strawberry bonanza than bake something with this lovely fruit and what can be easier than cookies?

Actually, cookies come in all shapes and styles, and there are so many ways of making them. As usual, I went for the simplest, easiest and quickest way to make strawberry cookies and the result was soft cookies with flavourful chunks of strawberries in each bite.

Everything is mixed in one bowl in minutes, without or without an electric beater, and baked in just 15-20 minutes! Just perfect for those who are trying their hand at baking for the first time and the master chefs who want a recipe that can’t go wrong.

So let’s see how to make this sweet delight.

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (100 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup (112 grams)
• 1 3/4 cups flour (227 grams)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup chopped strawberries (140 grams)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C), line two trays with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice, oil, vanilla and sugar, until well combined.

Add flour and baking powder, then fold them until combined and smooth. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries until just combined. If there is juice from the chopped strawberries in the bowl, do not add it to the dough as it is already very soft and wet. The juice from the strawberries can make the cookies soggy.

Form into balls. As the dough was softer than the regular cookie dough which can be made into a ball with the hand, I used a round scoop for this. Place on prepared cookie trays, and bake for approximately 20 minutes. The recipe I followed stated that the cookies would be ready in 15 minutes, but mine took almost 20 minutes. For the next tray, I turned up the heat to 200C and they were done faster, so the cooking time will depend on your oven too.

Let it cool completely and enjoy it while warm! You can dust it with powdered sugar before serving if desired. This recipe makes about 18 cookies.

To store strawberry cookies, keep them in an airtight container and they can be left out at room temperature (if it isn’t too warm) overnight. For longer, they need to be refrigerated in an airtight container and will keep well for up to a week — but, trust me, even the last crumb will be eaten before the day is out!

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 27th, 2021