97. Try making a new recipe each month - December AND 53. Bake a dessert from scratch!

Who doesn't love a 2-in-1 special??

Erin threw a holiday "Cookie Swap" party this past Christmas and after searching around for a recipe, I looked to a new cookie cookbook I bought at Target (for $5!) and decided to bake

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies!

I wasn't sure how this would turn out because I have never used real fruit in a dessert recipe before, it's usually chocolate related or artificial, but these were legit!

I made these cookies from scratch, VERY easy, and it was also a new recipe for me for December!

Ingredients:

12 ounces of fresh strawberries, diced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoon of baking powder
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar, for sprinking (optional)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper
2.  Combind strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
3.  Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and ramining 7 tablespoons of sugar in large bowl.
4.  Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, or rub in using your fingers, until mixgture resembles coarse crumbs.

5.  Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, add strawberry mixture and stir gently.

6.  Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto lined baking sheets, leaving appropriate spacing.
*7.  Sprinkle sanding sugar if using.

8.  Bake 23-35 minutes or until golden brown and then transfer to a wire rack to cool

**Cookies are best served on the day they're baked! This is very true!! If you're going to eat them another day, warm them up!

P.S. This was a bit of a messy recipe, so I couldn't take a lot of pictures :(