Strawberry sugar cookies (dairy-free!)

This time, for my semi-annual baking for non-dairy eater friends and family, I decided to make something colorful and indulgent.

Sweet strawberry sugar cookies – what could be a better treat?

Coconut oil is a great substitute with summer fruit and berries, its stronger flavor is somehow mellowed and it still keeps the cookies rich and creamy.

Tips: A couple of points on the strawberries – let them absorb the sugar for a few minutes, but lightly pat them dry with a paper towel before folding them gently into the cookie dough. And when spooning the cookie onto the baking sheet, just make sure that every cookie has about two strawberry pieces in it.

Strawberry sugar cookies 

(makes about two dozen)

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 punnet strawberries
• 2 T vanilla sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• optional: speculoos or Biscoff cookies crumbs for topping

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or foil.

2. Whisk (or beat with a mixer) the coconut oil and sugar vigorously for several minutes until well-combined. Beat in the egg, then slowly add in the dry ingredients until the mixture forms dough.

3. Hull and cut the strawberries in half (or into quarters, if yours are on the larger side), place in a bowl. Macerate with vanilla sugar for 5 minutes, pat dry.

4. Carefully fold in the strawberries into the cookie dough.

5. Using a tablespoon, spoon out the dough onto the baking sheet, pressing each cookie a little bit to flatten. If topping with cookie crumbs, press those in lightly too.

6. Bake each batch for about 10 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until just set and golden. Let cookies cool completely on a wire rack.