Strawberry Crunch Cookies
Ingredients:
For the Cookie Dough:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup freeze-dried strawberries, lightly crushed
For the Strawberry Crunch Topping:
½ cup golden Oreos or vanilla sandwich cookies, crushed into fine crumbs
¼ cup freeze-dried strawberries, crushed into a powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions:
Brown the Butter: In a light-colored saucepan, melt the 1 cup of butter over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, turns a golden amber color, and releases a nutty aroma. Immediately pour into a heat-proof bowl to stop the cooking, ensuring you scrape all the browned bits from the pan. Allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes.
Prepare Topping: In a small bowl, mix the crushed vanilla cookie crumbs, powdered freeze-dried strawberries, and melted butter until it resembles wet sand. Set aside.
Combine Wet Ingredients: To the slightly cooled brown butter, add both sugars and whisk vigorously for about a minute until combined. Whisk in the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and slightly pale.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
Form the Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with a spatula until just a few flour streaks remain. Fold in the ¾ cup of lightly crushed freeze-dried strawberries until the dough is fully combined. Do not overmix. The dough will be soft. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball generously in the prepared strawberry crunch topping, pressing gently to adhere. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just set and the centers still look soft. The cookies will continue to set as they cool.
Cool: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.