Strawberry Shortbread
There are many ways one can show that they care. You can shower your loved one with hugs and kisses, send a lovely bunch of flowers or splash money around like it grows on trees. I can think of nothing more loving than to nurture a batter from mixer to oven and watch it turn to golden magic and then carefully decorate it. It brings me supreme joy.
It also exists in the little things. The small gestures. It makes me happy to make my partner his morning coffee, pick up the mail or iron his shirts. He shows his love by taking out the trash, doing the laundry and cleaning the dishes.
One day he was having a hard time at work and I didn’t know how to comfort him. It wasn’t enough for me to give him a big hug and a gentle pat on the head. I wasn’t brought up to show my love with grand gestures. So, I put the oven on and started to make his favourite shortbread. Whilst I was putting together the recipe I remembered he loved dried strawberries, so I tipped a small handful of them into the dough… only because I care. These brought a smile to his face and helped wipe away the stresses of the day.
I also made them for his parents when they paid us a visit. They were an absolute hit.
Strawberry Shortbread
Makes approx 24
250g unsalted butter, room temperature
100g caster sugar
250g plain flour
125g cornflour or rice flour*
1/2 cup of your favorite dried fruit (optional)
Preheat the oven to 160°C. In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, then sift in the plain flour and cornflour gradually, mixing briefly between each addition, until it binds together. Add the dried fruit. Gently knead until just smooth (do not over-work). On a floured board, roll out the dough to approximately 5mm thick then cut with a cookie cutter. Place the shortbreads on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and cook for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with some sugar and allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
*Rice flour will give a granulated, crunchy result. Cornflour produces biscuits that melt in your mouth
26 Comments
OohLookBel
April 20th at 10:49 pmAww, how sweet (the cookies AND the sentiment). Another way to show you care is by drawing a heart in mayonnaise on his crumbed fish fillet. That’s how I do it, anyway!
Jeannie
April 21st at 3:05 amWhat a sweet treat…not surprised it put a smile on his face:)yummy!
Juliana
April 21st at 6:55 amWow, your shortbread looks delicious with dry strawberries…a nice twist to the classic one. So sweet of you making this for him…a nice gesture. Hope you are having a great week 🙂
Soma
April 21st at 7:02 amWhat a sweet post. Your photographs brings out the delicate texture of these shortbreads so well! You are really talented!
Nami @ Just One Cookbook
April 21st at 8:02 amHi Amy! How sweet and kind of you. I love shortbreads more than just regular cookies and your pictures just prove every point that this is a good one! I need your comfort… just kidding. haha.
Holly Rose
April 21st at 10:00 amI love that you got the electric mixer out! Shortbread cookies are really a feel good food-hey?! My grandmother used to make these for me on special occasions growing up….It’s what I think of every time I eat them! I love the strawberry touch…my kind of cookie!
Holly xo
tigerfish
April 21st at 11:14 amI have not tried dried strawberries before. Where do you get them from?
Richard Elliot
April 21st at 11:27 amI’ve got a box of corn flour and rice flour that I need to use up. Perhaps I can cook up a big batch and have a taste off! 😉
yummychunklet
April 21st at 9:34 pmThough I’m not a fan of dried fruit, I do love anything strawberry. I’ll have to give these shortbread cookies a try!
Angie@Angiesrecipes
April 22nd at 5:28 amThose cookies look buttery and crumbly!
Kankana
April 22nd at 10:19 amaaawww that is SO sweet of you 🙂 They look perfectly baked ..and your clicks are as always so beautiful and soft.. like I am in a dreamy land.
joanne
April 22nd at 10:06 pmHaving these cookies around would certainly cheer me up if I were having a bad day! They look absolutely delicious!
sonia
April 23rd at 9:32 amWonderful shortbreads…looking so tempting !
Cooking Gallery
April 23rd at 5:20 pmStrawberry shortbreads sound fantastic! They look really pretty and I think your photography is beautiful!!
Lisa @ Sweet as Sugar Cookies
April 23rd at 5:24 pmI love the idea of a strawberry shortbread. These look like they’d melt in my mouth.
Phuoc’n Delicious
April 23rd at 9:33 pmAwww… that’s so sweet! Love how food can comfort and communicate the things that are often hard to express. These look wonderful
carolinaheartstrings
April 23rd at 10:01 pmWow do these look wonderful. Great pictures.
sheila @ Elements
April 24th at 11:09 pmWhat beautiful, delicate cookies! They look so good! I never would have ever thought to put dried strawberries in a cookie but it’s a marvelous idea, and I can see what they were such a hit.
Making something special for a loved one, friend, or acquaintance is certainly a way to help someone feel better, and I can see how these cookies helped your husband cope with the stress of the day.
By the way, I’m very curious about making these cookies since they’re made with cornflour since it’s not something I’m familiar with. I bookmarked the recipe so I can make these and see for myself. 🙂
Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets
April 25th at 9:28 amBeautiful and a great idea! Now to find some affordable dried strawberries…maybe I could pick it out of some cereal ;p.
tasteofbeirut
April 25th at 1:39 pmThese strawberry cookies look so dainty and refined. I would make them in a second! Love the shots too, you are an amazing photographer.
grace
April 25th at 4:43 pmwhat a sweet and thoughtful little gift! i love dried strawberries too, but i can’t think of the last time i used them in a dish or even ate them–they seem awfully rare! lovely work. 🙂
Mika
April 25th at 6:49 pmHandmade cookies are always a good way to express love…These are just perfect, I love that you used rice flour…I usually prefer to use tapioca starch, they come out really crunchy, more than with rice flour or cornflour…and I love crunchy cookies… ^_^
barbara
April 25th at 8:06 pmI’m not a fan of dried strawberries but used this way they look enticing.
cityhippyfarmgirl
April 26th at 7:11 pmYou are right. I can think of nothing better than showing someone you care by putting the oven on. I’ll bet he loved them Amy.
sweetlife
April 27th at 6:45 amhow sweet, dried berries oh my girls’ love to sprinkle these on everything..a perfect way to brighten anyone’s day!
sweetlife
erin
May 16th at 2:51 amThis is such a cute idea! And I love that blue flowered print in the first photo. All around cuteness! 🙂