I know it sounds weird, but this is a salad-inspired cookie. Yup...that's right.
Weeks ago, I had a spinach, coconut, strawberry, and almond salad and knew I needed to translate it into a cookie. (Minus the spinach, of course.) What can I say: inspiration's where you find it, right?
Longtime readers will know that I've made a few berry cookies that use three forms of fruit--fresh, dried, and cooked--to deliver the yumminess. This time, though, I wanted to try something a little different because I couldn't find dried strawberries at my grocery store. But what to use? Even more fresh or cooked strawberries?
When you make berry- or fruit-flavored cookies, you always have to address the moisture factor. Fruit is wet, and cookie dough that is too wet often yields too-moist, cakey cookies, which is fine if that's what you like. But I prefer the perfect balance between chew and crunch. And so the search for an alternative ingredient for dried strawberries began.
And then it hit me: Strawberry Quik! Some pink stuff in the creamables dry ingredients will do the trick.
This is an eggless recipe because I use cookied strawberries for the wet ingredients. And to maximize the berry flavor, I used a little raspberry extract.
Makes 3 dozen cookies. (To see this recipe in process, check out Picturing Strawberry, Coconut, and Almond Cookies.)
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Creamables
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1 stick butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup Strawberry Quik
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Wet Ingredients
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1 1/2 cups roughly chopped strawberries
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract
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Dry Ingredients
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2 cups finely ground oatmeal
2 cups coconut
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped almonds
3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup Strawberry Quick
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt.
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In a small saucepan, heat strawberries, white sugar, milk, extracts, and lemon juice and zest over medium high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, crushing the strawberries until the the mixture is smooth.
- Remove strawberry mixture from the heat and set aside to cool until Step 5.
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Cream together the butter, sugars and Strawberry quick.
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Add the combined wet ingredients to the creamables. Mix together until well incorporated.
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In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed.
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Slowly add the dry ingredients to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
- Shape dough into balls--about 2 tablespoons each.
- Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Flatten each dough ball a little with your hand or a spatula.
- Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.
