I made these in May when strawberries were finally good and I wanted a cookie that felt like the season. They’re chewy old-fashioned oatmeal cookies — the kind with hearty oats and crinkly tops — dipped in a fresh strawberry glaze that turns them pink. The glaze tastes like actual strawberries, not artificial pink. Pretty enough for a tea, simple enough for a Tuesday.
What you need
For the cookies — one and a half cups of all-purpose flour, a teaspoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of salt, three cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats, not steel cut — rolled), three quarters of a cup of softened unsalted butter, three quarters of a cup of brown sugar, half a cup of granulated sugar, two large eggs, two teaspoons of vanilla.
For the strawberry glaze — a cup of fresh strawberries (or thawed frozen) pureed and pressed through a fine mesh sieve to get about a third of a cup of strawberry liquid, two cups of powdered sugar, a tablespoon of softened butter, a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice.
To finish — a couple tablespoons of crushed freeze-dried strawberries for sprinkling, or fresh strawberry slices if serving right away.
How I make it
Heat the oven to 350. Line two sheet pans with parchment.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the rolled oats.
In a bigger bowl, beat the butter and both sugars for about three minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients on low just until combined.
Use a medium cookie scoop (about a tablespoon and a half) to drop balls onto the sheet pans, leaving a couple inches between each. Lightly flatten the tops with your palm — they spread but not a ton.
Bake for 11-13 minutes. The edges should be golden but the centers still look slightly underdone — that’s how you get chewy cookies. They firm up as they cool.
Let them cool on the pan for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They need to be totally cool before glazing or the glaze melts.
For the glaze, puree the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Push the puree through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl using the back of a spoon — you want strained smooth liquid, no seeds. Whisk in the powdered sugar, softened butter, salt, and lemon juice until smooth and pink. Adjust thickness with a splash more strawberry liquid (thinner) or powdered sugar (thicker). It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pour.
Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze, letting the excess drip off, and place back on the rack. Or spoon glaze over each cookie if you want them more rustic. Sprinkle with crushed freeze-dried strawberries while the glaze is still wet.
Let the glaze set for 30 minutes before stacking or storing.
A few notes
The pink color of the glaze depends entirely on your strawberries. If they’re pale, your glaze will be pale — add a drop of natural beet powder or just enjoy the soft tone.
The cookies stay chewy for four days in an airtight container at room temp. They get a little softer over time which I actually like.
You can freeze the cookies before glazing for up to two months, then thaw and glaze fresh.
If fresh strawberries aren’t great where you are, frozen ones work just fine for the glaze. Thaw them in a bowl and use the released juices too.
