Crisp & Chewy Strawberry Sugar Cookies

These cookies are PINK! and naturally pink at that. Sorry for yelling, but these strawberry sugar cookies are pink, and they are unmistakably strawberry. They are thin and chewy, just a bit of crisp around the edges and thanks to a special ingredient they stay chewy and bendy (I should trademark that) for dayyyyys. Not that they'll last that long. Don't be surprised if you start belting out Strawberry Fields Forever when you take your first bite of one of these, still warm from the oven.

These Crisp & Chewy Strawberry Sugar Cookies are so unique. I have never had a cookie like them and I must say I'm quite proud of myself for creating this recipe. I had quite a few flops (still delicious) before landing on this recipe. When a cookie recipe says it's chewy, for me, it often isn't. I wanted to deliver on my chewy, bendy promise and boy did I. These are really chewy, almost like candy in buttery cookie form. Yeah, they're amazing...

...And every time I make them I think how great they would be as a sandwich cookie, or even better, an ice cream sandwich, so feel free to let your imagination run wild there. Also, I feel like I have to mention that these would be perfect for Valentine's Day thanks to their pink color.

how do we get the strawberry into these crisp & chewy strawberry cookies?

I became a bit obsessed with using freeze-dried fruit in my bakes a couple years ago, and these cookies were one of my many creations. You would never put fresh strawberries into a sugar cookie. ( You would, however add them to these: Strawberry Shortcake Cookies ) But for sugar cookies, fresh strawberries are too wet, and wet ingredients just don't work in thin, crisp, and/or chewy cookies. But all natural, freeze-dried fruit allows us to do the impossible! I buy Auguson Farms on Amazon, but most grocery stores carry freeze-dried fruits these days. Just give a quick google to see where you can find them.

the secret ingredient

Another semi-specialty ingredient that sets these strawberry sugar cookies apart and contributes to their incredibly unique, chewy, bendy qualities is liquid glucose. Again, I get mine on amazon - Caullet brand - and it will literally last forever. I do know Michael's sells Wilton brand glucose syrup as well. Again, just do a quick google search to see if you can find it at any grocery or craft stores in your area.

why use liquid glucose?

Liquid Glucose is an invert sugar, which makes it handy in making candies and ice creams because it discourages and prevents the formation of sugar crystals. In baked goods, it attributes that chewy or sometimes fudgy texture we love. I do know it is used in cake baking too, but that is not my area of expertise. I learned the liquid glucose trick for cookie baking from Christina Tosi, the mad genius behind Milk Bar. It really is a special ingredient but if you are totally opposed, I have read that you can replace the 2 tablespoons liquid glucose with 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup. I haven't tried this though.

a few tips

• This cookie starts out like most cookies: creaming room temperature butter with sugar. In this case we add a bit of glucose to that mixture. I highly recommend that you add your butter, then your sugars, and then scoop your glucose on top of the sugar. If you add the glucose first it will stick to the bowl and will be almost impossible to scrape off. Just a little tip I learned the hard way.
• Also, when scooping it, I use my two tablespoon cookie scoop because it just makes it so much easier. Then I wash it off and use it for scooping the cookies later.
• Really let this mixture cream. Let it rip for like 5 minutes. You want it fluffy and light.
• I know this is a bit unconventional: I add my leavening agents and salt with the egg and vanilla and let it all combine before adding the flour. I have found that everything gets mixed in so much better that way. Again, let this really whip together and get fluffy. Scrape down the sides to make sure everything is really combined.
• Once you add the flour, mix on low until you see almost all of the flour has been absorbed. Then add your crushed strawberries. Just barely mix them in so you have some swirls and marbling in the dough. It just makes for a prettier finished cookie.
• To crush strawberries: put them in a bowl and crush with your hands until you have a powdery mixture with a few chunks remaining.
• Measure strawberries after they are crushed.

I hope you'll give this recipe a try! Let me know if you do! Come say "hey" on Instagram and tag me so I can see! I'm @wild.thistle.kitchen

xo - Anita

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