There is a lot to love about these Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies. Just one look and you're likely to get all googly-eyed over their striking good looks. But there is more than meets the eye to these vibrant beauties. These tender heart cookies are full of vibrant flavor and thrilling textures.
The roots of this recipe begin with my Big Pink Cookies recipe, a classic that's been on my site for years. I've always had a soft spot for oversized, soft and cakey cookies. Especially if they are slathered in cream cheese frosting. That recipe has morphed over the years. Instead of using food coloring to dye the frosting, I now use freeze dried berries, crushed into oblivion until they are a fine powder, full of tart flavor and natural color. The Big Pink Cookies are better for it and they've become one of my most popular recipes on the blog.
More big and soft cookie recipes from Baking The Goods
Over the summer, I had the honor of participating in a local bake sale as part of the Bakers Against Racism movement. I partnered up with some local Portland bakers and bloggers and together we were able to raise $2500 for the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition in Portland, OR.
The BFSC mission is to ignite Black and brown communities to participate as owners and movement leaders within food systems, placemaking, and economic development. As creators in the food space, as well as consumers, it's imperative that we support organizations who are putting energy into breaking down the systemic barriers that make food and economic opportunities inaccessible to so many members of our community. I encourage you to learn more about the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition and research similar organizations who are building a better and more equitable community in your area. Show your support in whatever way works for you, volunteering, donations or even spreading the good word. It all makes a difference.
For the fundraiser I wanted to sell my Big Pink Cookies because they are adored by so many. But, I worried about the cream cheese frosting and refrigeration issues in the summertime. So I improvised and devised a fresh and flavorful version of the BPCs. After testing out some different ideas, I landed on these irresistible Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies.
What makes these Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies so lovable?
Well, let's start with the cookies themselves. The simple dough is easy to make and as versatile as they come. You can pretty much jazz this easy rolling dough up any way you want. In the original recipe I use a mix of vanilla and almond extract along with a little cardamom to flavor the dough. This recipe just uses vanilla and the fresh scent of lemon zest for flavor.
The soft & tender lemon heart cookies
- Big love. These cookies are big, I use a 4" heart shaped cookie cutter and cut them thick, at least ¼" up to a ½" thick.
- Softness you can feel. They are soft and cakey but still have a nice bite to them.
- Easy roller. This cookie dough is smooth and supple and rolls out like a dream. It holds its shape, with crisp edges when baked so it's ideal for cut cookie shapes.
- Easy on the sweet. While it is a sugar cookie dough, it isn't overly sweet so you get equally buttery notes alongside the sweetness. Plus the lemon scent from the zest in the dough is bright and sunny.
There is no denying the heart throbbing, show stopping feature of these Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies, that poppin' pink glaze! This glitzy, glammy glaze is really what makes these cookies sparkle. Bonus, this gorgeous strawberry lemon glaze is naturally colored and flavored to boot!
The vibrant strawberry lemon glaze
- All natural. That vibrant, glowing glaze is naturally colored and flavored with finely ground, freeze dried strawberries.
- Sweet & tart. The freeze dried strawberry powdered is blended with powdered sugar, then they get all glaze-y when fresh lemon juice joins the party. The concentrated flavor of the tart berries and lemon combined with the sweetness of the powdered sugar makes a perfectly sweet-tart finish.
- Sparkle & shine. The sparkling sugar not only adds glitzy glam to the the icing but it also provides a crunchy texture against the smooth glaze and soft cookie.
- Wow factor. That bright, bold color streaking across the cookies adds instant drama. But the best news is, the drizzle is done in seconds so you get big wows with little effort.
Mixing the strawberry lemon glaze is simple
Shaping and decorating the Strawberry Lemon Cookies feels like an art project
Rolling out the smooth and pliable lemon sugar cookie dough is reminiscent of Play-Doh. Using heart shaped cookie cutters to shape the over sized cookies just feels joyful. Then splattering the cookies in that glowing glaze is like a mini modern art project. It's a freeform creative release that results in uniquely decorated cookies that are as delicious as they are artful.
These Strawberry Lemon Cookies are balanced in sweetness + tartness
Combine all of those qualities and you get an ideal cookie that is full of flavor, texture and best of all, love. At their core, these Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies are simple. But it's all of the little things that add up to make them so swoon worthy.
I think what I love most about these Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies is that they were born out of a need to adapt. I was able to take something that was working perfectly well and morph it into something similar underneath but entirely new and fresh on the surface. We should always be adapting, thinking about things in new ways and shaking things up for shakes sake.
Just because we are familiar with one way of doing things, even if we genuinely enjoy them, it's always interesting to push the boundaries in unfamiliar way. It doesn't mean the old way has to go away, it just makes space for more possibilities. And there is so much more to explore, in the kitchen and in life in general.
Push yourself and open your mind to trying something new. It doesn't have to be big, it can be as simple as baking a batch of these Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies. Big love, friends.
Recipe
Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies
- Yield: 16 cookies
Description
These big & soft Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies are drizzled in a vibrant, tart pink strawberry lemon glaze with a sprinkle of sparkling sugar.
Ingredients
LEMON HEART COOKIES
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 medium lemon, zested & juiced
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
STRAWBERRY LEMON GLAZE
- 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
- 4-5 tablespoons lemon juice, reserved from lemon in cookie dough
- 2-4 tablespoons sparkling or raw sugar
Instructions
LEMON HEART COOKIES
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for about 4-5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be light and fluffy and the sugar should be fully incorporated into the butter.
- Crack the eggs and vanilla into a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low, slowly add to the sugar mixture, one egg at a time. Allow each egg to blend in completely before adding the next. Mix until smooth.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on medium until a smooth consistency is achieved. The dough will be soft and sticky at this point.
- Gather the dough into two disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour up to overnight, the dough needs to firm up so it's easier to to roll out.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to ¼" thickness on floured counter top. If the dough is cracking, allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften up. Use a large, 3"-4", heart shaped cookie cutter to cut rolled dough into hearts. Gather and repeat with the scraps until you've used all of the dough. Place cookies close together on a lined baking sheet and chill in the the refrigerator or freezer for at least 20 minutes, until firm. Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape with crisp, straight edges when baked.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Place cookies on parchment or Silpat lined baking sheets at least 1" apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes (depending on size) until the edges start to brown slightly and they are firm to the touch. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack.
STRAWBERRY LEMON GLAZE
- Use a mortar and pestle to finely crush the freeze dried strawberries into a powder. Alternatively, place freeze dried berries in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Sift into a small bowl to remove seeds. You will need about ¼ cup of strawberry powder.
- Sift the powdered sugar and the strawberry powder together into a medium sized bowl. Add about 4 tablespoons of the fresh squeezed lemon and whisk until the glaze runs off of the whisk in a smooth ribbon. If the glaze is too thick, add remaining lemon juice or water, 1 teaspoon at a time. If it's too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar.
- Once the cookies have cooled completely, dip a whisk into the glaze and wave it back and forth over the cookies like a magic wand to create the stripy drizzle. Sprinkle the sparkling sugar over the glazed stripes and allow to set on the cooling rack for at least 30 minutes until the glaze hardens and forms a soft, eggshell like finish.
Notes
Once you've cut the cookies, they can be stored in the freezer, when sealed tight, up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen but may require a few additional minutes of baking.
This dough can be cut into any shape and size you want, just adjust the bake time accordingly. More time for larger, thicker cookies. Less time for smaller, thinner cookies.
This dough is versatile and can be flavored with different extracts, citrus zests or spices.
This recipe uses freeze dried strawberries for the glaze but feel free to adapt the color and flavors using other freeze dried fruits!
Barb says
I am so looking forward to making these awesome cookies, but I can not find any freeze dried strawberries. Is there a substitute you could recommend? Maybe strawberry jello powder?
Stay healthy and safe
Thank you
beckysue says
Hi Barb. Great question! I can always find them at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and on Amazon. But, I think you are onto something with the strawberry jello powder, I think that would work but can't confirm since I've never tried myself. Let me know if you try it! You could also add a little sugar to some fresh, chopped strawberries and let it sit for 15-20 minutes until the juices release. Then, strain the juice and whisk it with the powdered sugar and a bit of lemon juice. The color probably won't be as vibrant and the flavor might not be as concentrated but it'd still be nice. 🙂 Happy baking!