Strawberry Scookies for Your Writing Group

I recently met an author who is part of a writing group that focuses exclusively on lighthearted Cozy Mysteries.

What are Cozies? Here are some of the words the Cozy authors shared with me: 'sweet puzzlers', 'amateur sleuth', 'book shops', 'friendly communities', 'faithful dogs', 'persnickety cats', 'twisty plots', and 'happy endings'. Best of all, one author mentioned tea and cookies.

Did someone say cookies? Yum.

If you know me, you know I love cookies. And when this author mentioned my fave type of deliciosities, I realized I hadn't shared a cookie post since the holidays, I immediately started thinking about what kind of cookies might be best for a Cozy Mystery writing group in May. And that's when I remembered Strawberry Scookies.

Strawberry scookies are perfect for spring and writing groups!

What's a scookie? Well, it's kind of like a scone--the inside is tender, flaky and sweet. But at the same time, it's also like a cookie with an outer texture that is a bit resilient and satisfying to bite. Whatever you call it, the strawberry flavor on the tongue makes these delightful mouthfuls the perfect accompaniment when you're working on a Cozy!

So, here's my tested recipe for Strawberry Scookies:

Ingredients

• 3/4-1 cup frozen strawberries chopped and thawed (I used frozen because it was so convenient, but you can replace frozen with fresh strawberries.)

• 2/3 cup cold unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon table salt

Optional Icing (I like icing but you can use coarse or decorative sugar if you prefer)

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 1-2 teaspoons whole milk (depends on how thick or thin you like your icing)

Equipment

• One large mixing bowl

• Food processor (for chopping your fresh or frozen strawberries)

• Whisk

• Pastry cutter

• Spatula

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Baking sheet

• Parchment paper, cooking spray or oil for the baking sheet

• OPTIONAL ICING: Piping bag, spoon, or brush for decorating with the optional icing

Instructions 

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Prep your baking sheet (i.e., line with parchment paper or oil).

• Chop strawberries in your food processor until you have approximately 3/4 to 1 cup of strawberries, including the juice.

• If you are using frozen strawberries, let them thaw, or microwave until thawed and juicy. (If you microwave, time short spurts, say, 30 seconds. The strawberries should not be hot.) Once thawed, again, keep the juice. Do not discard.

• Cut the cold butter into small bits.

• In your mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: sugar, flour, baking powder and salt, then use your pastry cutter to cut in your butter.

• When the butter is evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture, add strawberries and juice. Use your spatula to combine. The dough will be light pink, with bits of darker pink, and sticky.

• Use a spoon, cookie scoop or your fingers to scoop balls of dough and arrange them on your prepared baking sheet. Note: The scookies hold their shape and do not spread. If you'd like to them to be wider and thinner, use the greased back of a spoon to press them down gently.

• Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. (Depending on how big you make your scoops of dough, you should get approximately three dozen scookies.)

• Remove from oven and place on racks to cool.

• While still warm, add decorative sugar or, once the scookies have cooled, make icing.

• Combine powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until your desired consistency and drizzle on top of fully cooled cookies.

• Enjoy!

These tasty tidbits retain their pink color, making them perfect for a writing group tea party. Whether your group is sharing a pot of oolong or toasting each other with piping hot mugs of ginger lemon, everyone will enjoy these scookies.

Let me know in the comments if you try these out with your writing group!