STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE COOKIE

Inspired by the Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Bar these vanilla and strawberry swirled sugar cookies are stuffed with fresh strawberry jam and generously crumbed in strawberry shortbread!

Chew chew….a train of thought coming through:

Stop That Ice Cream Truck!

The sound of the ice cream truck still sends me to a happy place! Hot summer afternoons with quarters and creamy ice cream bars in hand! Now I was always a creamy ice cream bar sort of kid. My favorites were an Orange Cream-sicle, a Candy Center Bar, or a Toasted Almond Bar and of course the Strawberry Shortcake.

Funny enough I only like the outside part of the Strawberry Shortcake and absolutely despised the watery strawberry sorbet that was in the center. Sigh, if they could only make the Strawberry Shortcake Bar with just vanilla ice cream and those crumbs because let’s be honest we are all there for those soft cakey crumbs!!

But I think any hopes of getting Good Humor to make a better Strawberry Shortcake are very slim, word in the food reddit space is that Good Humor silently relaunched their Strawberry Shortcake Bar replacing the majority of the dairy in the bar with coconut oils and palm oils. So much so that the bar is not even called ice cream anymore…? While we wait on Good Humor to get their act together, let me talk to you about these Strawberry Shortcake inspired cookies.

These cookies are inspired by my favorite elements of the Strawberry Shortcake Bar! The element I was most obsessed about recreating? You guessed it, those signature cakey shortcake crumbles! I tried a few recipes for the shortcake crumbs online but none of them gave reminded me of the ice cream bar’s iconic crumble coating. The closest thing that reminded me of the shortcake crumbs were actually the scraps of baked cookie dough from my almond raspberry Linzer shortbread cookies. I crumbled up the baked shortbread scraps and gave them a quick shake with freeze crushed up freeze dried strawberries an et voila, a crumble I was proud of! They literally look like the real thing and have the tinge of softness that you get once the ice cream softness the crumbs!

Let’s talk about the cookie:

• Homemade Strawberry Jam

  • I usually dislike strawberry jam but this homemade batch really changed my mind. I realized I’ve just been having really subpar strawberry jam all this time. This jam was giving pop tart strawberry jam vibes in the best way! And best of all its so simple to make!

• Vanilla + Strawberry Shortbread Crumble

  • While not identical to the original shortbread crumble, this almond shortbread crumble looks and has the texture of the classic ice cream bar. I loved stuffing the crumble into the cookie as well for an extra dose of shortbready goodness!

• Vanilla + Strawberry Swirl Sugar Cookie

  • The addition of malt powder into these cookies takes these cookies to the next level! They add a dimensions of warmth and toast-iness to the humble sugar cookie! I was worried that doing a strawberry swirl portion of the cookie would overpower it but I was wrong, the strawberry sugar cookie swirl compliments the strawberry jam and bridges the malty vanilla part of the cookie with the jam.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE COOKIE

Serving: Makes ~12 cookies

Ingredients:

Small Batch Strawberry Jam

• ½ cup fresh or frozen whole strawberries (70 grams) ~4 med strawberries

• 2 tablespoons white sugar (25 grams)

• ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

Vanilla + Strawberry Shortbread Crumble

• 3 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter (43 grams)

• 1/4 cup of white white granulated sugar (50 grams)

• 1½ tablespoon of beaten egg + egg yolk mixture (20 grams) (Beat 1 whole egg + 1 yolk and only use 1½ Tbsp (20 g) of beaten egg + egg yolk)

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (60 grams)

• 1/4 cup almond flour (28 grams)

• Pinch of fine sea salt

• Pinch of baking soda

• Freeze dried strawberries, crushed

Vanilla + Strawberry Swirl Sugar Cookie

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature (226 grams)

• 1 3/4 cup white sugar (350 grams)

• 1 egg

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 cups all purpose flour (360 grams)

• 1 tablespoon malted milk powder (7 grams)

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup freeze dried sliced strawberries (8 grams)

• Pink food coloring, optional

Method:

Make the Small Batch Strawberry Jam

1. In a food processor, blend strawberries, sugar lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt.

   • ½ cup fresh or frozen whole strawberries (70 grams)

     • If using frozen strawberries, let them thaw out at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes or until no longer frozen before blending.

   • 2 tablespoons white sugar (25 grams)

   • ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

   • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

   • Pinch of salt

2. Strain the strawberry puree mixture through a sieve into a saucepan.

3. Heat the mixture on medium heat until the mixture thickens. It should bubble, become thick and the jam should separate and hold a line if you pull a spoon through the mixture. About 4-5 minutes

4. Let the jam cool and pour it into a small pipping bag. Set aside.

Make the Vanilla + Strawberry Shortbread Crumble

1. In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed for about minute until light and fluffy.

   • 3 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter (43 grams)

   • 1/4 cup of white white granulated sugar (50 grams)

2. Add a 1½ tablespoon of the egg/egg yolk mixture and vanilla extract into the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated.

   • 1½ tablespoons of beaten egg + egg yolk mixture (20 grams) (Beat 1 whole egg + 1 yolk and only use 1½ Tbsp (20 g) of beaten egg + egg yolk)

   • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3. Take a large bowl and add the add the all purpose flour, almond flour, salt and baking soda and give everything a stir.

   • 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (60 grams)

   • 1/4 cup almond flour (28 grams)

   • Pinch of fine sea salt

   • Pinch of baking soda

4. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and mix on medium-low speed until just combined.

5. Tip over the cookie dough onto a piece of parchment paper and then top the dough with another piece of parchment. Gently roll the dough between 1/4 and 1/8 inch thick, no thinner.

6. Place the dough onto a cookie sheet and pop it directly into your freezer or fridge. If freezing 20-30 minutes should be good. If placing in the fridge about an hour should be good. The dough should be chilled and firm in order to bake to the correct texture.

7. Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment and set aside.

8. Once the cookie dough has chilled, remove the parchment paper and place the cookie dough on the baking sheet as is.

9. Bake the cookie dough slab for about 8-10 minutes or just until the edges start to become golden.

10. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes then move them a parchment lined wire rack to cool.

11. Once the shortbread is cool, crumble it with your hand until you get small pebbly crumbly pieces.

12. Split the shortbread crumbs into two bowls. Add 1/4 of the shortbread crumbs in one bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 3/4 of the shortbread crumbs into another bowl other, add roughly a tablespoon or two of crushed freeze dried strawberry into it and give it a quick mix. Set aside.

Making the Vanilla + Strawberry Swirl Sugar Cookies

1. In a large bowl, add the butter and beat on medium speed for about minute until light and fluffy.

   • 1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature (226 grams, ~2 sticks)

2. Add the white sugar and beat on medium speed for about minute until light and fluffy.

   • 1 3/4 cup of toasted white granulated sugar (350 grams)

3. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract into the whipped butter/sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated.

   • 1 egg

   • 1 egg yolk

   • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4. Take a large bowl and add the add the all purpose flour, malted milk powder, baking soda and salt. Give everything a stir.

   • 3 cups all purpose flour (360 grams)

   • 1 tablespoon malted milk powder (7 grams)

   • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

   • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

5. Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and mix on medium-low speed until combined and no dry pockets remain.

6. Divide the dough into two separate bowls, should be roughly ~520 grams. Set one bowl aside.

7. Add the freeze dried strawberries into a dry blender/food processor and pulse until fully powdered. Sift the powder to remove any seeds or big chunks. r.

   • 1/2 cup freeze dried sliced strawberries (8 grams)

8. Take one bowl and add the freeze dried strawberry and pink food coloring if using. Beat the mixture until the strawberry powder and food coloring are fully combined.

9. Use a medium 1 1/2 tablespoon sized cookie scoop to scoop out all of the malted vanilla dough onto a parchment lined tray then scoop out all of the strawberry dough. You should have about 15 cookie dough balls. Set aside.

10. Take one piece of both cookie doughs and place it in between your palms. Gently pinch and layer the doughs and press them together to swirl, then start to gently roll them together to help them adhere and turn into one cookie dough ball.

Assembly + Baking

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

2. Hold the cookie dough ball in one hand and firmly press your thumb of the other hand into the exact center, stopping when your thumb is about halfway through the ball’s thickness. Begin pinching the cookie dough between your thumb inside the opening and your fingers on the outside. Continue to rotate and pinch until the sides are thin and the top widens.

   • Note: You want there to be a sturdy base with wide walls, this will make it easy to fill the cookies with passionfruit curd and seal them up.

3. Snip the end of your strawberry jam bag and fill every cookie dough ball cavity with an even amount of jam.

   • Small Batch Strawberry Jam, from above

4. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the strawberry shortbread crumble into each cookie dough ball. Repeat to all cookies until they are all filled.

   • Strawberry Shortbread Crumble, from above

5. Gently pinch the tops of the cookie dough balls together to encase the jam and crumbs. Give the a quick roll to make them round again. Repeat to all the cookies.

6. Roll each cookie dough ball into the plain shortbread crumbs. Repeat to all the cookies.

   • Vanilla Shortbread Crumble, from above

7. Place 5 dough balls onto each baking sheet pan and let them bake for about 8 minutes or just until the sides of the cookies are set and the center gently puffs.

8. Pull the cookies out of the oven and scoot the cookies into position using a round ring to make the cookies thicker and circular.

9. Once the cookies have baked, let them cool on the tray for a few minutes and move the cookies onto a wire rack.

10. Sprinkle the warm baked cookies with the remaining strawberry shortbread crumble. Gently press the crumble into the cookies.

11. Enjoy the cookies warm or eat them at room temperature.

Storing + Making & Freezing Ahead of Time

Storing Once Baked

1. Once baked, the cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container outside for up to 2 days.

Making & Freezing Ahead of Time

1. If you’d like to make the cookie dough ahead of time you can do that too!

   • If you plan on baking the cookie dough within a day or two of making the dough, wrap the fully assembled cookie dough in plastic wrap and let it refrigerate (cookie dough can be kept in fridge for up to two days) until ready to bake. When ready to bake, preheat the oven, let the cookie dough come to room temperature and bake as directed.

   • If you’d like to freeze your cookie dough to bake later on (up to a month later) chill the fully assembled cookie dough in the freezer for at least an hour. Once the cookie dough has chilled fully, pull the cookie dough off of the parchment lined plate/tray and place the frozen cookie dough into an airtight freezer safe storage bag/ container. Store the extra crumble needed for topping in an airtight container in the freezer as well. When you are ready to bake, take out as many cookies as you’d like as well as the crumble and let them come to room temperature outside, about 1-2 hours. Once thawed, bake as directed and top with the crumble.