Strawberries have been my favorite fruit forever. Somewhere, there’s a picture of me at my sixth birthday, grinning happily over my dinner plate, which included strawberries. They are sweet, bite-sized bundles of happiness as far as I am concerned.
Strawberry cereal?
On a recent trip to the grocery store I needed a box of wheat flakes (my crumbled topping for smoothie bowls). As I checked out my options, a box of Strawberry Milkshake Frosted Flakes caught my eye. I studied them for a minute and decided I really didn’t need an entire box of sugary cereal, although the idea of strawberry flavored cereal was quite intriguing.
A week later I was at a different grocery store and used the cereal aisle as my route to the checkout. Once again, a box of Strawberry Milkshake Frosted Flakes appeared in my line of vision. I decided it was kismet, fate, whatever, but I needed to buy a box. I did eat a bowl of them for dessert and declared them delicious.
How about strawberry cereal cookies?
After making this cereal discovery, I knew I need to let Jamie, who is a friend and huge cereal fan, know. He, too, was able to find a box and found them to be tasty. He then challenged me to find a recipe for the flakes. That is where this recipe starts. Version one of this recipe included Strawberry Milkshake Frosted Flakes. The bad news is that they were a flop, even though I have had success with other cereal cookies. The good news is that I used only two cookies’ worth of dough to learn that.
Finalizing the berry best cookies
I continued testing, pondering how to get enough strawberry flavor into the cookies. I added more freeze-dried strawberries than the initial version and threw in some white chocolate chips. Although no flakes were used, this recipe was well received.
If you’re craving some strawberry sweetness in handheld form, this is the recipe to try.
The Berry Best Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1//2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries diced
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream butter and both sugars on speed 2 for 4 minutes.
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Add egg, beating to incorporate.
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Add vanilla, and mix.
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Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour, and mix until incorporated.
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Add diced, freeze-dried strawberries and white chocolate chips, stirring until combined.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place heaping teaspoonfuls of batter on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are golden.
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Transfer to baking rack to cool completely.
