Just under the wire, I finished my Strawberry-Shortcake Cookies for this month's Cookie Carnival. Recipe from the inimitable Ms. Stewart (bow before her, and wear a clean apron because it WILL be inspected.)They look cute, don't they? With Canada Day coming up tomorrow, a cookie that's a riff on a strawberry shortcake seemed perfect. I'll be toting them to a barbecue. It's an interesting recipe, kinda like a pie crust recipe. You rub the butter into the flour and then add some cream to bring the dough together and then fold in diced strawberries. It's a soothingly old school prep, and I felt a bit like Ma in 'Little House on the Prairie'.
I remember reading once that it violates the whole 'thing' of a strawberry to cook it. That heat turns them flabby and evaporates their bright but ephemeral flavour... Can't say I disagree generally. These are - nice. I know. Not the biggest compliment in the world. For me, they just weren't sweet enough really. But I fully admit to having twenty sweet teeth, so I thought this could be just me. They're certainly lovely and tender and the nice pioneer feeling carries through.But then Mr. Salty pronounced them 'not up to your usual standard'. Ouchie! And HE (who, as we know, prefers salt to sweet and so doesn't share my juvenile sense of taste) thought they weren't sweet enough either. (Full disclosure - I WAS mom-baking. Which means I was also making dinner, listening to NPR, checking for work emails, doing laundry, corralling small kids and drinking. Just kidding on the drinking. But it IS possible I missed one tablespoon of the sugar. But it seems to me also that 7 tbsp of sugar is NOT a lot of sugar for three-and-a-half dozen cookies. Right?)
So it's back to the drawing board for another cookie to represent our country! Any ideas...? Blueberry and maple syrup? Something molasses-y for our easterly friends? A thumbprint cookie with butter tart filling? I'm open!xxx,
Gumdrop
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