Strawberry Lemonade Cookies

These cookies are bursting with tart lemon and swirled with a sweet strawberry layer. They are bites of sunshine!

Strawberry lemonade cookies are what I imagine summer tastes like; a little tart and a whole lot of sweet. I've had this cookie idea in my mind for months now. It took me multiple rounds of recipe testing to get them to a place where I can confidently share them with you.

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WHAT ARE STRAWBERRY LEMONADE COOKIES?

This recipe is 100% from scratch, no cake mixes or artificial flavors are used. The lemonade part comes from a lemon sugar cookie, made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. The strawberry comes in the form of ground freeze-dried strawberries mixed with granulated sugar. The cookies are rolled out, sprinkled with a layer of melted butter and then slathered with the strawberry and granulated sugar mixture. Then they are rolled up, much like making cinnamon rolls and chilled before baking.

HOW DO YOU MAKE STRAWBERRY LEMONADE COOKIES?

The early test batches of these cookies were perfect on flavor, but they kept spreading and getting really thin during baking. So I took a good hard look at my recipe ingredients. I realized I was practically using my always perfect sugar cookie recipe, except that I had added in brown sugar. Since brown sugar tends to melt at a lower temperature than granulated sugar, it can cause cookies to spread more. I eliminated the brown sugar and bingo, no more spreading!

This recipe requires some chill time so you do need to plan ahead. Start by making your lemonade dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes (or up to several days) before rolling out.

While the dough is doing it's initial chill, prepare the strawberry filling. Crush or grind the freeze dried strawberries into a powder, then mix together with the granulated sugar. I like to use my mini Cuisinart for grinding the strawberries. It will take a little more elbow grease and time, but you can crush the strawberries with the back of a spoon as well.

On a well floured surface, roll each dough half into a 10x6 inch rectangle. Use your hands to flatten the edges as necessary and your rectangle does not have to be perfect. See photos above and below.

Melt the butter (use half on each rectangle) and spread it over the rolled out dough. Sprinkle each buttered dough with half of the strawberry and sugar mixture. Then tightly roll the dough into a log. The dough may crack a little as you roll it up. Use your fingers as necessary to smooth it back together. Wrap each log individually and chill for a minimum of 2 hours.

Once the dough has chilled, cut each log into ½ inch slices and arrange on a prepared baking sheet. Place the cookie dough back into the refrigerator while the oven preheats.

Finally, bake the dough. These cookies bake in a quick 7-8 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I have fallen in love with this strawberry lemonade cookie recipe. The cookies pop with the brightness from the lemon and the sweetness from the strawberries. I loved watching people's expressions as they test tasted these for me! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

OTHER LEMON RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY

• Mom's Lemon Bars
• Homemade Lemon Cupcakes with Berry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

To pin this recipe, you can use the button on the recipe card, or on any of the photos in this post. Happy baking!

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Yield: 40 cookies

Strawberry Lemonade Cookies

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These cookies are bursting with tart lemon and swirled with a sweet strawberry layer. They are bites of sunshine!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 58 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• FOR THE FILLING
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup freeze dried strawberries, ground (yields about ¼ cup powder)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder with a whisk.  Set aside.
2. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute.  Add in sugar and lemon zest and beat until smooth, about 1-½ minutes. Beat in egg and lemon juice and mix until well combined, about 1 minute.  Scrape up and down the sides of the bowl.
3. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape your bowl.  The dough should form a ball around the paddle when the mixing is finished.  The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
4. Divide the dough in half; wrap in plastic wrap and press into 1 inch thick discs.  Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes before rolling and up to seven days.
5. Once the dough has chilled prepare the filling. Measure ½ cup of freeze dried strawberries and grind to powder. This yields about a ¼ cup. You can use a food processor or mash them with the back of a spoon. Once strawberries are in ground form, mix with ½ cup of granulated sugar. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter and set aside.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disc into a 10 inch by 6 inch rectangle. Spread one tablespoon of melted butter over each rectangle and evenly sprinkle the strawberry and sugar mixture on top.
7. Working slowly, roll each rectangle into a 10 inch log. Roll as tightly as you can. If the dough cracks, use your fingers to smooth it back together. Cover and chill both logs for a minimum of 2 hours.
8. Prepare baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Remove the dough logs from the refrigerator. Cut into ½ inch slices and place on prepared sheet about 1-2 inches apart.
9. Return cut cookies to the refrigerator while the oven preheats.
10. Preheat the oven to 375°.  Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes, until puffy. The cookies will not be browned. Allow the cookies to rest on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Natierra Nature's All Foods Organic Freeze-Dried and Crunchy, Strawberries Flavor, 1.2 Oz
• 
  Microplane 38004 Profesional Series Fine Grater, 18/8, Stainless Steel
• 
  Ultra Cuisine 100% Stainless Steel Wire Cooling Rack for Baking fits Half Sheet Pans Cool Cookies, Cakes, Breads - Oven Safe for Cooking, Roasting, Grilling - Heavy Duty Commercial Quality
• 
  Fox Run Polished Marble Rolling Pin with Wooden Cradle, 10-Inch Barrel, White
• 
  Silpat Premium Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat, Half Sheet Size, 11-⅝" x 16-½"
• 
  USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan, Warp Resistant Nonstick Baking Pan, Made in the USA from Aluminized Steel
• 
  KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

40

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 112Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 54mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g

The nutrition information is an estimate and may not be entirely accurate.

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