Strawberry

Skinny Strawberry Cream Cake

It’s strawberry season again here in Phoenix. Everywhere I turn there are great bargains to be had on strawberries. This strawberry cream cake is one I made last year but never got around to posting. It’s a winner in my book. Easy and delicious, I think I prefer it to strawberry shortcake.

Skinny Strawberry Cream Cake

I used cake mix to keep this skinny strawberry cream cake quick and easy, but when I make it next time I will substitute this skinny buttermilk cake, my new go-to from scratch vanilla cake, which bakes up moist and delicious and is almost as easy as one from the box.

I used real whipped cream in this skinny strawberry cream cake too. Truwhip (natural whipped topping) is another alternative, but when I calculated the PointsPlus it came out the same using it as the whipped cream, so I opted for the real thing since I think it tastes better and I had some heavy cream in fridge ready and waiting.

By keeping the servings small you can enjoy a slice of this skinny strawberry cream cake for 193 calories and 5 PointsPlus. The more I focus on slowing down and really savoring my sweet indulgences, the more I realize a little serving of dessert is all my body really wants.

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: 5 PointsPlus, Cakes Tagged With: Strawberry

Strawberries with Red Wine and Cassis

By Martha McKinnon 1 Comment

There was a time when fruit was the furthest thing from my mind when I thought of dessert. Maybe I’m finally growing up because I find myself, not only thinking of fruit, but serving it more and more.

There are so many things you can do with fruit to create simple and delicious desserts. These strawberries with red wine and cassis (black currant liquor) are a perfect example. The recipe comes from Essential Pepin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food, a great cookbook with a full chapter devoted to fruit desserts.

Goblet of Strawberries in Red Wine and Cassis

I have been on a Jacques Pepin kick lately. I’m not sure why. Maybe I’m feeling nostalgic? His was one of the first cooking shows I tuned into regularly. I loved his series on PBS where he cooked with his daughter, Claudine. I’ve got several of his cookbooks dating back to the 1990s on my shelves, but have never really cooked from them that much. But recently they’ve been calling to me. Maybe I had to grow up to fully appreciate his simple yet sophisticated approach to home cooking that manages to be elegant yet unpretentious and pragmatic all at the same time?

We enjoyed these red wine and cassis soaked strawberries for dessert on Easter Sunday. Rod and I thought they were delicious, even though I somehow managed to leave out the tablespoon of shredded fresh mint. And my mom, who is not a red wine fan, thought they were good. They’re perfect when you want a light, simple, easy and delicious spring/summer dessert that you can make in minutes and refrigerate up to 8 hours before serving.

Jacques suggests you serve them with cookies.

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: 4 PointsPlus, Desserts & Sweets Tagged With: Strawberry

{38 Power Foods} My Favorite Weight Watchers Friendly Berry Recipes

By Martha McKinnon 2 Comments

Fresh Raspberries

This week our 38 Power Foods Group continues on it’s healthy eating exploration with berries: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. (Every week a small group of bloggers is working its way hrough Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients, by Martha Stewart and the editors of Whole Living Magazine. If you are interested in joining us, contact Mireya at My Healthy Eating Habits. We’d love to have you join us.)

If you are a berry fan, be sure to check out what these other participating bloggers have cooked up:

This was a fun post for me, since berries are one of my favorite foods. And though I feel like I love all berries equally, I discovered that they’re definitely NOT all equally represented here on Simple Nourished Living. (While strawberry recipes are abundant, recipes using blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are not, which is something I plan on working to change.)

Naturally low in calories and rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, berries rich beautiful jewel colors hold the secret to their many health benefits. (The same compounds that give blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries their rich colors provide the antioxidants believed to help counter the risks of cancer, heart diseas and brain deterioration due to aging.)

Instead of obsessing about which berries contain which phytonutrients, I think it’s easier to remember to eat from the rainbow, incorporating as many different colors into your diet as possible.

Here are a few of the ways I love to enjoy strawberries, blueberries and raspberries:

I love them for breakfast on top of cereal, or yogurt…

Fresh Raspberries and Yogurt

On toast with laughing cow cheese and honey…

Toast with Raspberries, Laughing Cow Cheese & Honey

Layered into a parfait…

Skinny Strawberry Yogurt Granola Parfaits

Weight Watchers Frozen Strawberry Layer Cake Recipe

By Martha McKinnon 1 Comment

Weight Watchers Frozen Strawberry Layer Cake

Slices of angel food cake, softened frozen yogurt and homemade strawberry sauce layered in a pan and frozen until firm.

I knew I wanted to try this recipe for frozen strawberry layer cake as soon as I saw it featured in the May 6-12, 2012 Weight Watchers Weekly, where it was described as a sweet, special way to celebrate a special mom.

I didn’t get around to making it for Mother’s Day; I took Mom to Season’s 52 for a special lunch instead. But with the temperatures heating up here in Phoenix, it seemed like a perfect dessert for Memorial Day!

If you’re a fan of frozen desserts, this is one to add to your list.

The recipe, as written, calls for a 12 ounce angel food cake, prepared from a mix. Using store bought angel food cake makes this quick and easy to prepare and saves you heating up the kitchen, which is what I opted to do.

It also makes a big 9-inch round cake that serves 12, way too much for our little family. So I divided the recipe in half and layered the ingredients in an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pan instead, making 6 generous servings.

The recipe said to freeze the cake for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days, and then let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before un-molding and serving. But, my cake was still rock-hard after 10 minutes, so I let it sit out on the counter for 30-40 minutes. Another alternative might be to move it to the fridge for a couple of hours to soften up a bit before serving.

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: 5 PointsPlus, Cakes, Desserts & Sweets Tagged With: Frozen Yogurt, Strawberry

Skinny Strawberry Yogurt Granola Parfaits

By Martha McKinnon 2 Comments

Skinny Strawberry Yogurt Granola Parfaits

Layers of tangy nonfat Greek yogurt, sliced fresh strawberries, and granola spooned into a glass is a fun, healthy and delicious way to start the day. These strawberry yogurt granola parfaits will fill you up without weighing you down.

But, I need to be honest here. Layered fresh fruit and yogurt parfaits are not something I make during the week. They’re just a little too fussy for that.

Monday through Friday, I just dump the yogurt, berries and crunchy cereal (saving the granola for a special weekend treat) into a bowl…

Strawberries, Yogurt and Crunchy Cereal

Though, not as attractive, it tastes just as good and saves a few minutes.

But on the weekends, when I have a little more time, I like to fancy things up a bit. And these strawberry, yogurt and granola parfaits do the trick.

To keep them light and healthy, it’s important to choose your ingredients carefully. There are huge variations in the amount of fat, calories and PointsPlus values among yogurts and cereals, especially granola. I’m a huge fan of nonfat Greek yogurt. If you’re not, just choose your favorite yogurt and adjust the PointsPlus values accordingly.

Another trick is to drizzle your honey, maple syrup, or agave over the yogurt instead of stirring it in, so you can really taste it and be satisfied with less.

And go heavy with the low PointsPlus value fruit and light with the granola, which adds great flavor and crunch, but can be high in PointsPlus values. So use just a sprinkle.

And if you are feeling especially ambitious, you can even make your own homemade granola. It’s a treat, but not something I do all the time.

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: 5 PointsPlus, Breakfast & Brunch Tagged With: Granola, Strawberry, Yogurt

Gael Greene’s Morning After Orange Fruit Soup – #46 on Gourmet’s 50 Women Game Changers in Food

By Martha McKinnon 5 Comments

Gael Greene's Morning After Orange Fruit Soup

Gael Greene’s Morning After Orange fruit soup – an interesting combination of frozen orange juice concentrate, quick cooking tapioca, and sugar, combined with fresh fruit – makes for a refreshing and delicious way to begin the day.

We enjoyed this orange fruit soup for breakfast this morning and look forward to having it again. It’s a perfect light and healthy breakfast option here in Phoenix, where the temperatures are sky high a good part of the year.

I have #46 on Gourmet’s List of 50 Women Game Changers in Food, American restaurant critic, author and novelist, Gael Greene to thank for this unusual recipe. I’m quite sure I never would have discovered it, it it weren’t for my participation with a group of food bloggers, led by Mary from One Perfect Bite, who have been cooking their way through the Gourmet list since last spring.

Who is Gael Greene you ask? (I had no idea and had to look her up. Do you ever wonder how you survived before Google and Wikipedia? I do.)

It turns out that Gael Greene was the Insatiable Critic for New York magazine for 40 years, where she helped change the way New Yorkers think about food. She became the magazine’s restaurant critic in the fall of 1968, when most New Yorkers were unsophisticated about food and celebrity chefs were virtually nonexistent. According to Wikipedia, “She was a passionate early “foodie” before that word was used. Indeed, the American edition of The Foodie Handbook credited her with first using the word.”

You can read some of her fun reviews here on her blog: Insatiable-Critic.

Greene is also the author of two best selling novels and a memoir: Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess.

In 1981 she co-founded Citymeals-on-Wheels, along with teacher and food writer James Beard, to help fund weekend and holiday meals for homebound elderly people in New York City. She remains an active chair of the company’s board, hosting an annual Power Lunch for Women.

Gael explains in the headnote for this recipe on her website, “I don’t remember where I got the recipe for this refreshing and delicious fruit soup – always a waker-upper at my brunches for friends. If I stole it from you, please forgive me.”

Bowl of Morning After Orange Fruit Soup

I made the orange juice and tapioca mixture before bed last night and then popped it into the fridge. This morning, when I went to stir in the fruit, I thought it seemed a little too gelatinous and stirred in about 1/2 cup orange juice to loosen it up.

Morning After Orange Fruit Soup Ingredients

Each serving has about 137 calories and 4 Weight Watchers PointsPlus. Enjoy!
[Read more...]

Filed Under: 4 PointsPlus, Breakfast & Brunch, Soups, Stews & Chilis Tagged With: Banana, Fruit, Strawberry

Skinny Strawberry Fresh Fruit Salsa

By Martha McKinnon 1 Comment

Skinny Strawberry Fruit Salsa

I made this simple strawberry salsa recently to perk up the grilled pork we were planning for dinner. It’s based on the Pam Anderson’s “Create-Your-Own Fruit Salsa” recipe from her book, The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great. (I know I’ve mentioned this book before and even did a review of it a while back, since I use it so much.)

In her headnote, Pam explains that you can “use whatever seasonal fruit you’ve got: mangoes, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, oranges, grapefruit, grapes, melons, strawberries, blueberries, apples, or pear. Or use a mix of fruit.”

Well, what I had was a big box of strawberries, so that’s what I used, creating a simple strawberry salsa.

She goes on to explain that you should choose a bell pepper color to contrast with the fruit, which means I should have used green or yellow to contrast with the strawberries. But as luck would have it, I only had a red one, so that’s what I went with. (It definitely would have been prettier with yellow or green; Oh, well. Next time.)

I love this kind of recipe – a basic template from which you can mix and match to create something of your very own.

This strawberry salsa recipe makes a generous 2 cups of salsa, or about 6 (1/3 cup) servings.

It was great on our grilled pork. I think it would be just as delicious on grilled chicken, shrimp or fish. Fresh fruit salsas are a delicious way to boost your intake of fruits and vegetables too, so I definitely see more of them on our menu his summer.

Grilled Pork with Strawberry Salsa

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: 1 PointsPlus, Mexican, Sauces & Condiments Tagged With: Salsa, Strawberry

Mixed Greens & Strawberry Salad with Chicken, Goat Cheese & Avocado

By Martha McKinnon Leave a Comment

Mixed Greens, strawberries, Chicken, Goat Cheese & Avocado

Mixed Greens & Strawberry Salad with Chicken, Goat Cheese & Avocado

Mixed greens tossed with sliced strawberries, chopped cooked chicken, crumbled goat cheese, chopped avocado and sliced almonds, in a simple honey & citrus vinaigrette dressing. Yum. Yum. Yum.

I had this delicious salad for lunch yesterday and just thinking about it still makes me smile. I was able to concoct it by combining ingredients I had in the fridge and pantry: mixed greens, strawberries, leftover rotisserie chicken, avocado, red onion, goat cheese crumbles, and sliced almonds. (Oh, how I love a well stocked fridge.)

This hearty main dish dinner salad (with 8 Weight Watchers Points+ per serving) laced with lean protein, fiber, and healthy fat, kept me full and satisfied until dinner.

I love salads for lunch and sometimes even for dinner, especially when the weather turns warm, like it’s already doing here in Phoenix.

The key is to never think of salads as “diet food.” Instead think of them as colorful, satisfying and delicious ways to load up on healthy vegetables and fruits, especially when tossed with your own healthy homemade salad dressing.

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: 8 PointsPlus, Chicken & Turkey, Salads Tagged With: Goat Cheese, Strawberry

Skinny Strawberry Almond Crumble Recipe

By Martha McKinnon 2 Comments

Skinny Strawberry Almond Crumble

Strawberries sprinkled with a sweet and crunchy almond topping and baked until juicy and golden. You’ve got to taste this easy strawberry almond crumble to believe how delicious it is. Really. Nigella Lawson calls this “a crumble of dreams.”

I found this easy strawberry dessert recipe in my British copy of her book, Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home, that I picked up and couldn’t put down when I was in London for Christmas last year. (Is it weird that I enjoy having to translate ingredients and amounts from metrics into ounces?)

In her description, Nigella explains that with this recipe, your can turn even lackluster supermarket strawberries into “berry-intense” burst of tender juiciness.” How wonderful is that?

And she’s right. The strawberries I used were nothing special, and yet the resulting strawberry almond crumble was sensational. I had a hard time limiting myself to one small portion when I served it warm a la mode for dessert Sunday night and kept thinking about a way to justify indulging in the leftovers for breakfast topped with a dollop of yogurt the next morning.

Skinny Strawberry Almond Crumble - Easy, Healthy Delicious

Skinny Strawberry Almond Crumble - Easy, Healthy and Delicious

If you, like me, love fruit based desserts like cobblers, crisps and crumbles, I hope you give this one a try. It’s truly terrific and is going in my “must make again soon” file. (I think this is one dessert that is worth each and every of it’s 5 Weight Watchers PointsPlus value.)

To make this strawberry almond crumble lighter and healthier, I cut back a little on the butter and added a few quick cooking oats to the topping. The original recipe calls for sliced almonds, but I only had whole ones that I opted to chop instead.

The topping baked up sweet and crunchy, probably because of the almonds and Demerara sugar, which is less refined than regular sugar with bigger granules. Instead of Demerara sugar, I used what I had in the pantry: C&H washed raw cane sugar, which looks like the sugar in those little brown ‘sugar-in-the-raw’ packets see at coffee shops. It’s crunchy texture was perfect in the crumble topping.

Enjoy!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: 5 PointsPlus, Cobblers, Crisps & Crumbles, Desserts & Sweets Tagged With: Almond, Oats, Strawberry

Skinny Strawberry Rice Pudding

By Martha McKinnon Leave a Comment

Skinny Strawberry Rice Pudding

Arborio rice, fat-free milk, and sugar cooked until creamy and then combined with a combination of gently cooked sliced strawberries and a little more sugar. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

Well, this simple creamy low-fat strawberry rice pudding recipe probably only sounds delicious if you are a rice pudding fan, which I am. I think it makes a nice comforting homey dessert or hearty afternoon snack. And I especially love it for breakfast (Rice pudding is really a lot like oatmeal when you stop to think about it – a grain cooked with milk and a little sugar).

When I saw this healthy Arborio rice pudding recipe in my Weight Watchers Comfort Classics : 150 Favorite Home-Style Dishes cookbook, I thought it sounded good. And interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a recipe for rice pudding with fresh strawberries. And I have never made it with Arborio rice. But I’ve been meaning to try it ever since reading that it makes the creamiest rice pudding.

So, I made this skinny strawberry rice pudding yesterday to have for dessert.

Turns out it was the wrong dessert for last night’s diners. (Not everybody likes rice pudding as much as I do.) My sister, Brenda, took one bite and proclaimed, “That’s exactly why rice should never be used as a dessert ingredient.” Rod and my mom, felt the same way, but were a little kinder about it.

In fairness, I think it would have been much better, if I had stirred in a little more milk to make it less thick before serving it, which is exactly what I did this morning when I had another bowl for breakfast. (Oh well, live and learn.)

When I tasted it, still warm from the stove, I thought it was creamy and delicious. But, by the time it had chilled in the refrigerator, it was very thick and chewy. (That’s why cooking continues to fascinate me. Regardless of how much time I spend in the kitchen and how much I learn, there will always be so much more to discover.)

So, if you like rice pudding and fresh strawberries, it’s safe you’ll like this, especially served warm. If you don’t, it’s probably best to take a pass, but you probably didn’t need me to tell you that.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: 6 PointsPlus, Desserts & Sweets Tagged With: Rice, Strawberry

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

By Martha McKinnon 1 Comment

Strawberry Shortcake Photo Credit Flickr: Audrey Elizabeth

Strawberry shortcake is the perfect summer dessert, especially with these easy strawberry shortcake recipes to turn to.

As soon as strawberries begin appearing everywhere, my mind immediately turns to this easy luscious fruit filled dessert.

It’s loved by young and old alike and comes in lots of different styles and variations but is basically made by taking sliced strawberries, mixing them with sugar and letting them sit until they get juicy and then serving them them over either cake or a biscuit that you then top with a bit of whipped cream.

It really is a pretty simple delicious easy healthy dessert, especially if you keep the serving size reasonable.

I grew up eating strawberry shortcake made with biscuits so it’s still the way I prefer it. (I never liked those little individual sponge cakes that are displayed with the strawberries at the grocery store.)

If you prefer yours with cake, a lighter healthier option is angel food cake. It’s available in most every grocery store and has only about 75 calories per serving, making it a healthy easy option for your strawberry shortcake base.

I recently found a recipe that suggests grilling or heating your angel food cake slices in a pan, before topping them with strawberries and whipped cream, which sounds absolutely heavenly (Yes, I meant to say that!)

Getting back to the topic of biscuits, you have lots of choices here as well. To keep things super quick and easy, you could buy the refrigerated or frozen kind, begin with a baking mix, such as Bisquick, or make them from scratch.

I usually opt for Bisquick since it’s always in the pantry and is a little less work than making them from scratch. There are lots of great options with Bisquick these days too – with heart healthy, trans fat free and gluten free versions to choose from.

When strawberries are in season, I hope you’ll give one of these easy strawberry shortcake recipes a try.

Classic Strawberry Shortcake with Bisquick

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 quart strawberries (4 cups), sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/3 cups Bisquick
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup whipped cream or whipped topping

Directions

Put two cups of the strawberries in a medium bowl and then mash them with a fork or potato masher. Stir in the sugar and the remaining 2 cups of berries. Put aside and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make your biscuits. Preheat your oven to 425 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Put the Bisquick, 3 tablespoons sugar, the milk and butter in a medium bowl and stir until the mixture comes together to form a soft dough. Place 8 evenly sized spoonfuls of dough on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart from each other.

Bake until lightly golden, 8-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack, allowing the biscuits to cool for about 15 minutes.

For each serving, split a biscuit in half with a knife and place it in a bowl. Fill and top with strawberries and whipped cream.

Cook’s tip: You an also bake one big shortcake and then cut it into 6 wedges. Spread the dough in an ungreased 8-inch round baking pan and bake until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes. Cut into 8 wedges and then split each wedge and fill and top as you would the drop shortcake biscuits.

Nutritional Estimates Per Serving (1/8th): 300 calories, 12.3 g fat, 44.7 g carbs, 2.1 g fiber, 3.9 g protein and 8 WW PointsPlus Value.

Recipe for Easy Shortcake Biscuits from Scratch

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup firm butter
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Directions

Heat oven to 375 F. Grease the bottom and side of a 8-inch or 9-inch round baking pan and then dust the pan with flour and tap out any excess.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix in the butter with a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. (You can also do this by pulsing several times in a food processor.) Stir in the milk and egg just until blended. Spoon the dough into a pan and spread it out evenly.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Cut the shortcake into 8 wedges. For each serving, split each wedge in half then fill and top each wedge with strawberries and whipped cream.

Nutritional estimates per serving: 280 calories, 9.7 g fat, 44.1 g carbs, 2.3 g fiber, 5.5 g protein and 8 WW PointsPlus Value

Recipe for Gluten Free Shortcake Biscuits

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

I love that Bisquick is now available gluten free so all of those suffering from gluten sensitivity or intolerance can indulge in delicious strawberry shortcake too.

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups Biscuick gluten free mix
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Heat the oven to 425 F. Grease a cookie sheet.

In a medium bowl, combine the Bisquick mix and 1/4 cup of sugar. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk, eggs and vanilla, just until combined.

Place 6 evenly sized spoonfuls of dough on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart from each other.

Bake until lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. For each serving, split a shortcake in half then fill and top with strawberries and whipped cream.

Easy Angel Food Cake Strawberry Shortcake with Balsamic

This is an easy healthy and sophisticated version of strawberry shortcake, definitely designed for grown up taste buds, thanks to the addition of balsamic vinegar and cracked black pepper. Since the recipe calls for no added sugar, use the sweetest, ripest, juiciest strawberries you can find.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 cups sliced strawberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Pinch of freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
4 wedges of angel food cake, each 1-inch thick
1/2 cup whipped cream

Directions

Mix the strawberries, vinegar and pepper in a bowl and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to marinate.

Heat a grill, stovetop grill pan or nonstick frying pan until hot. (If you are using a pan, add the butter; if you are grilling leave the butter out.) Add the cake slices and cook on both side until caramelized and toasted. Transfer to 4 bowls or dessert plates. Top with the strawberries and their liquid and a dollop of whipped cream.

Nutritional Estimates Per Serving: 146 calories, 5.6 g fat, 22.1 g carbs, 1.9 g fat, 2.3 g protein and 4 WW PointsPlus Value

Sources: Betty Crocker Ultimate Bisquick Cookbook: Hundreds of new recipes, plus back-of-the-box favorites, Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, New Tenth Edition, Cook This, Not That!: Kitchen Survival Guide

Links:

Simple Strawberry Cake – In Erika’s Kitchen
Gluten Free Strawberry Cake – The Cake Mix Doctor
Mom’s Easy Strawberry Cake – Mommy’s Kitchen
Strawberry Yogurt Cake – Betty Crocker
Healthy Strawberry Muffins – Whole Living
Simple Strawberry Dessert – Simple Daily Recipes
Strawberry Basil Sorbet – Enlightened Cooking
Strawberry Crepes- Ashley Memory at World of Crepes.

Related Posts:

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies – the flavors of strawberry shortcake in little cookies
Simple Banana Cake – simple easy banana cake that begins with a mix
Easy Blueberry Cheesecake Bars – simple homemade cheesecake bars embellished with fresh blueberries and jam

Filed Under: 4 PointsPlus, 8 PointsPlus, Desserts & Sweets Tagged With: Bisquick, Fruit, Strawberry

Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cookie Recipe

By Martha McKinnon 9 Comments

Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

These delicious strawberry shortcake cookies are brought to you courtesy of the Cookie Carnival, a group of cookie loving food bloggers I began baking with in April.

This strawberry shortcake cookies recipe comes from Martha Stewart and is properly named since it produces homemade cookies that taste just like little strawberry shortcakes!

They are more like bite-sized strawberry scones—soft and cake like—than cookies, but I loved them and think they would be perfect as part of a casual tea party.

Does anyone really have tea parties anymore or is this just a recurring romantic fantasy of mine?

When you read the recipe you’ll see that you make them just as you would scones or biscuits – combining the flour with butter until the mixture takes on a crumb like texture,

Flour and Butter

and then stirring in cream until the dough comes together.

Cookie Dough

Once you stir in the strawberries don’t be surprised if your dough takes on a pink hue!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookie Dough

I divided the recipe in half, which made 18 cookies.

Baking Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

If you like strawberry shortcake and/or cake like cookies, give these delicious home baked Strawberry Shortcake Cookies a try the next time you are looking for a fun and easy recipe calling for fresh strawberries.

The recipe calls for sanding sugar, a coarse sugar that produces a sparkly effect when sprinkled on top of baked goods.

Sanding Sugar

You can find MARTHA STEWART’s Sanding Sugar at stores carrying cake decorating supplies or online. You can sprinkle regular granulated sugar on instead, but your cookies won’t be quite as pretty!

3/5/12 Update: I was happy to recently discover that these little fresh strawberry cookies have only 64 calories, 2.8 g fat when I ran them through my favorite nutrition calculating program, so that means each little cookie has just a 2 Weight Watchers Points Plus Value, not bad for a tasty cookie made with butter and cream and bursting with the flavor of fresh strawberries!

Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cookies Recipe (half batch)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Yield: This makes about 18 cookies. (Here are the amounts for a full batch of strawberry shortcake cookies so you don’t have to do the math!)

Ingredients

6 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1cup)
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions for Preparation

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in the strawberry mixture, just until combined.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or two tablespoons, drop dough onto parchment lined baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies with a spatula to a wire rack, and let cool.

These cookies are best served the day they are made, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.

Nutritional Estimates Per Serving (1 cookie): 64 calories, 2.8 g fat, 9.0 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 0.9 g protein and 2 WW PointsPlus Value.

Links & Related Posts:

Banana Cookies Recipe from Best Ever Cookie Collection
Applesauce Cookies Recipe from Best Ever Cookie Collection
Homemade Orange Olive Oil Cake Recipe from Simple Nourished Living
Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe from Simple Nourished Living

Filed Under: Breakfast & Brunch, Cookies & Brownies, Desserts & Sweets Tagged With: Strawberry

News & Updates

Skinny Strawberry Cream Cake

Strawberries with Red Wine and Cassis

{38 Power Foods} My Favorite Weight Watchers Friendly Berry Recipes

Weight Watchers Frozen Strawberry Layer Cake Recipe

Skinny Strawberry Yogurt Granola Parfaits

Gael Greene’s Morning After Orange Fruit Soup – #46 on Gourmet’s 50 Women Game Changers in Food

Skinny Strawberry Fresh Fruit Salsa

Mixed Greens & Strawberry Salad with Chicken, Goat Cheese & Avocado

Skinny Strawberry Almond Crumble Recipe

Skinny Strawberry Rice Pudding

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

Classic Strawberry Shortcake with Bisquick

Recipe for Easy Shortcake Biscuits from Scratch

Recipe for Gluten Free Shortcake Biscuits

Easy Angel Food Cake Strawberry Shortcake with Balsamic

Search Simple Nourished Living

Welcome!

FREE Granola Bar Recipes eBook!

Things I Love

Categories

Important Information

Recent Comments

Blogroll

Article Archives