Salted Strawberry Cookies (from scratch & naturally pink!)
These cookies are the equivalent of strawberry shortcake, but in cookie form. They are naturally pink, soft and chewy, subtly sweet and packed with strawberry flavor. And in the spirit of pink, we add some Himalayan pink salt on top for the perfect contrast of flavor and extra hit of color. Plus, it's just fun :)
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 Stand mixer or electric mixer
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper as needed
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh strawberries 360 grams
- 1 cup & 2 tbsp granulated sugar 250 grams
- 2 sticks plant-based butter* 228 grams *see author's notes
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 390 grams
- 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips 180 grams, chopped
- 1 tbsp flakey Himalayan pink salt for topping
Instructions
- Using a chef's knife, finely chop the strawberries until they are almost macerated. Chop to get them as fine as possible. If you are open to it, you can also use a blender to turn them into a purée, just be sure not to add any extra liquid.
- Add the strawberries and any excess juice to the bowl of your stand mixer. Add in the plant-based butter and sugar. Put on the paddle attachment, and turn your mixer on low speed to break everything apart. Later move it up to medium speed to beat everything together. Let this beat for about 4-5 minutes or until the mixture is noticeably lighter and fluffier.
- ***Note, this mixture will not fully emulsify, and don't worry! The hunks of strawberries and the liquid from the strawberries make it impossible to get a smooth result. What you are looking for is that the butter and sugar have creamed together, creating aeration that holds the strawberries together and makes a light, fluffy (if not kind of chunky) mixture of wet ingredients.
- While the mixer is going, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In two rounds, add the dry ingredients into the wet. Use a spatula to fold in the dry ingredients. Do this gently to make sure the dough is as light as possible.
- Add in the chocolate chips and mix again. The dough will be wet, but that's a good thing!
- Preheat the oven to 375°F, store the cookie dough in the fridge while the oven preheats.
- When it is time to bake, portion the cookie dough out into 12 equal sized balls, each weighing about 4 oz. Sprinkle each ball with a liberal amount of flakey pink salt.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes at 375°F, or until the bottoms are golden.
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven and give them a smack on the countertop to help the cookies depuff and spread out. This is a critical step unless you want puffy cookies!
- Use a large cup to swirl around the edges of the cookies to create a perfect circle. Let them cool for a few minutes and enjoy!
Notes
*Vegan butter is used because it is lighter in color compared to classic butter. Classic butter, depending on the variety, is useable, but it will result in a more muted color in the final result.