Strawberry Cloud Cookies

If you are a strawberry lover (and who isn’t?), these cookies will buh-low your taste buds out of the water. Shelton says that these cookies are his favorite, and truth be told, I should really make them more often. They’re incredibly easy to whip up and are just dangerously delicious. It’s impossible to eat just one.

Strawberry Cloud Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Recipe adapted from The Church Cook

You’ll need:

For the cookies…

• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 stick Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1 cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• 1/2 – 3/4 cups pureed strawberries (about 10 regular sized strawberries)
• 4 – 6 drops pink food coloring (optional – gel works best)

For the glaze…

• 1-½ cup Powdered Sugar (I sift mine, but you don’t have to)
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest (more if you’re feelin’ extra zesty)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In your large bowl, combine the butter and the sugar. Mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese and strawberries. Stir to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients. Add food coloring.
• Using a cookie scoop (or two spoons), drop the batter on a baking sheet. These cookies are crazy dense, so they won’t puff up or spread out, but make sure to give each ball of dough a little wiggle room.
• Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
• Glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cooled cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread the glaze. Glaze will hardened almost immediately!

Very important: Let the cookies sit out overnight – do not immediately store in a sealed container even if the glaze has dried! Along with being very dense, these cookies are also very moist. Which means if you stick them in a Ziploc or plastic container they’ll get oddly wet and sticky. This won’t deter you from eating them… it’s just mostly unpleasant. You have been warned.

And there you have it. These little gems get many a moan wherever you take them. The best way to eat them is to pop one in your mouth upside down! Try it. You’ll see.

-Sarah