Almost 25 years ago, on Mothers Day, I received my first Mother’s Day present. She was an itsy bitsy five pound premmie with black-brown hair and big blue eyes. Quite a present. My daughter made me a mother.
My favorite way to celebrate Mother’s Day is being with my kids. Presents aren’t important. Shared moments are the gift I crave. My kids have always liked to turn the tables on Mothers Day and cook for me. From the preschoolers “cooking” my breakfast for a tray in bed, to more elaborate meal presentations later on.
When my son was in middle school, he and a best buddy began the Mothers Day Dinner tradition. The boys would get together in the morning and plan a menu including appetizer, main dish, and dessert. They would find recipes online, do the grocery shopping themselves, and then spend the rest of the day cooking with almost no outside help. The meals were adventurous and delicious. There were occasional glitches that we will call learning experiences (the chicken needs to be defrosted before putting it on the grill). Presentation was paramount. Squiggles of chocolate syrup adorned the plates of home made sorbet. The unifying ingredient in all of the menus was love. This tradition continued until the guys went off to college and aren’t home in May. I miss them.
It’s a lot easier to spend Mother’s Day with your kids when they are little (or even medium sized) and live with you. When they are full sized, they go off to college or move to other cities. I am lucky that my daughter has returned to St. Louis for the time being, but it’s hard to get the whole family together. I have learned to celebrate any time we are able to be together. On Mother’s Day I kind of get a promissory note for hanging out some time in the future.
But what if it’s not the kids who aren’t home for Mother’s Day, but the mom? That is the situation for deployed military moms. I recently learned that there are over 214,000 women in active U.S. military service and approximately 40 percent of them are moms. That means that there are a lot of moms who are deployed, serving their country abroad and not with their kids for Mother’s Day. That has to be so difficult for the moms and for their children. This recipe for Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies is dedicated to those military moms in appreciation for their courage and sacrifice.
Chocolate covered strawberries make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift but don’t make a good care package item. Instead, how about a desert-safe recipe for cookies that taste like chocolate covered strawberries? These cookies start out crunchy-chewy and become just crunchy over time, but are still delicious and full of strawberry-chocolate flavor. With these cookies in a Mothers Day care package, chocolate covered strawberries can even be sent to moms in the desert.
To make this recipe desert-safe I used vegetable shortening and white sugar. The strawberry flavor comes from two tablespoons of strawberry jello powder and chopped freeze dried strawberries. A dusting of strawberry flavored confectioner’s sugar adds the finishing touch.
When desert-safe is not a concern, the original recipe used butter instead of shortening and a combination of light brown (¾cup) and granulated (¼ cup) sugar. Cookies made with butter and brown sugar will be chewy for longer than those made with vegetable shortening and only granulated sugar. The strawberry-chocolate cookies can be dipped in melted chocolate or sprinkled with flavored confectioners sugar.
Note about flavored confectioner’s sugar: I made a great discovery while working on these cookies. I found an easy way to make FLAVORED confectioners sugar!! By grinding up freeze dried fruit (in this case strawberries) in the food processor with confectioners sugar, a colored, flavored powdered sugar is the result! This is a great topping for care package goodies as well as cookies and cakes at home. You have to try this! It’s easy and tasty and the possible uses are limitless!
You can read more about desert safe ingredients and find an index of all of the desert safe recipes on The Monday Box by clicking here.
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3.4 oz. instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jello powder
- 1 cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening or unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup freeze dried strawberries chopped small
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Strawberry confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons freeze dried strawberries
- For chocolate dip:
- 1 cup chocolate chips milk, semi-sweet, or dark
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pudding mix, and jello powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream shortening and sugars.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
- Gradually add the flour mixture until blended.
- Stir in chopped freeze dried strawberries and chocolate chips.
- Using a two tablespoon scoop, place balls of dough (golf ball size) onto cookie sheet about 2” apart. Press down lightly on each ball to flatten slightly into a disc or puck shape.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until set. (under bake by 1 minute if mailing these cookies)
- Cool on wire rack. When completely cool, decorate with flavored confectioners sugar or dip in melted chocolate.
- To make flavored confectioners sugar, place confectioner’s sugar and freeze dried strawberries in food processor and pulse until completely pulverized and mixed. Dust onto cookies with mesh strainer.
- To decorate with melted chocolate, melt chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Stir until completely melted. Dip half of cookie in melted chocolate and place on a wax paper lined baking pan. When all cookies have been dipped, refrigerate for about 10 minutes until chocolate is hardened. Then melt white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Stir until completely melted. Pour into a ziplock bag and seal. To make fine lines on top of darker chocolate, cut a tiny corner off the ziplock bag and pipe lines onto the cookies. Return the baking tray to the refrigerator for another 10 minutes to set the white chocolate.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
Nutrition
I was not compensated for this post, however I did receive free product from Chocoley.com for use in this recipe. All opinions are 100% my own. I only use and recommend products I believe in.
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laurasmess
What a fantastic recipe! Gorgeous stories too... so sweet. I love the idea of adding the jello powder to the cookie mix also... an easy, added flavour burst! Genius idea to use freeze-dried strawberries, both in the cookie mix and for the confectioner's sugar. I've never added strawberries to cookies before, for fear of making them wet, so this allows a gorgeous fresh strawberry flavour (as opposed to using lollies or strawberry jam) with minimal added moisture. I will definitely be using the powdered fruit sugar idea. Thanks for sharing your tips!!!
themondaybox
Thank you, Laura! I have been having fun playing with freeze dried fruit. 🙂 Not all of the experiments have been edible but these strawberry cookies and the banana cookies exceeded my hopes. 🙂 Moist can be ok in a cookie but too moist is especially bad for mailing cookies that might get moldy. Freeze dried fruit in the cookie or in the powdered sugar solves the problem. And you are so right about adding a fresh strawberry flavor!
shannon
whoa: i never thought of flavoring powdered sugar with freeze dried fruit! so many things you could use that for; what a great idea. I like the idea of chocolate covered strawberries in cookie format; nice job!
themondaybox
Thanks, Shannon! I can't wait for someone to use the freeze dried fruit flavored powdered sugar in another recipe! A few years ago, you could buy a few flavors of powdered sugar at the supermarket (I think it was Domino or C&H). But then it was discontinued. I have been looking for a substitute ever since that doesn't involve food coloring and fake flavor (jello mix). There are so many varieties of freeze dried fruit now, the possibilities have me giddy. 🙂
BruCrew Life
What a sweet story about your kids making you dinner!!! And these cookies look killer!!! Yum!!!
themondaybox
Thanks. Jocelyn! My son and his buddy making dinner was a very special tradition. They are good guys. 🙂 These strawberry cookies got the seal of approval from those very same guys. 🙂
beyondfrosting
Freeze dried fruit to flavor confectionary sugar?! How cool is that! Do you have to let it sit in an air tight container or anything? Or do you just grind it up, mix it in and then sprinkle it on top? Great idea!
themondaybox
I am really excited about the freeze dried fruit and confectioners sugar, Julianne! I put the sugar and freeze dried strawberries in the food processor, ground them up, then sprinkled on the cookies. Great taste and such a pretty pink! I stored the left over sugar in a ziplock bag (for over 2 weeks now) and it is still perfect and powdery! Freeze dried fruit has ALL the moisture taken out so it turns to powder very easily. 🙂
Reeni
I love how thick these cookies turned out! My Mom is a chocolate strawberry fiend and she would absolutely love these! Thanks for all your tips!
themondaybox
Your welcome, Reeni! You really have to try the flavored confectioners sugar! You are so creative, I know you will find amazing ways to use it! I'm not usually a crunchy cookie fan but I loved these! 🙂
Joanne
This is such a sweet post! And these cookies look delicious. I know they are something my mom would love!
themondaybox
Thanks, Joanne! I hope the recipe makes it possible for all moms, where ever they may be, to get chocolate covered strawberries for Mother's Day (or any other day!). 🙂
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain
omg Wendy this cookie is perfection! My mom loves chocolate covered strawberries, and I bet she'd love these for Mothers' Day! 😀 YUM
themondaybox
Thanks, Jess! They are crunchy, full of strawberry flavor, and really taste like chocolate covered strawberries! I need to work on my chocolate dipping technique though. More on my kitchen counter than on the cookies. 🙂
zerrin
Wow! Wendy, your kids are lovely! I admire that they cook for you! Maybe you know from my blog, I'm pregnant and expecting a son, due at the end of May. I've already started to dream about times we're cooking with him together. Hope he likes being in the kitchen with me! And these strawbery cookies sound so intriguing to me! Never tried strawberry in cookies, must definitely try this. Also, thanks for the tip about flavored confectioners sugar!
themondaybox
Congratulations Zerrin! You will be your son's mom. He will love to be where ever you are! Both of my kids love to cook because we started doing it together when they were tiny even if it meant more flour and sprinkles in and on them, than in and on the cookies! 🙂 If you can get freeze-dried fruit in Turkey, I highly recommend trying it in baking and to make flavored confectioners sugar!
Amy
What an interesting recipe. Such a good flavor combo! I totally want to make these....
themondaybox
Thanks, Amy! I was excited with how strawberry these cookies taste.
FoodBabbles
Loved the story about your kids cooking for you 🙂 These cookies sound divine! I don't think I've ever made strawberry cookies. Sounds like I need to change that!
themondaybox
Thanks, Kate! Honestly, I had never made strawberry cookies before this recipe either, but I was pleasantly surprised at how addicting they are. The addition of freeze-dried strawberries to the cookies and the dusting sugar gives them real strawberry flavor. I will swap you a cookie for a slice of your Strawberry Savarin! 🙂
Rachel @ Bakerita
Wow, what a ridiculously amazing idea! These sound so phenomenal, definitely need to try them. Pinning and totally making soon. I'm a strawberry fanatic!
themondaybox
Thanks, Rachel! Just a twist with the freeze-dried fruit to make it desert safe and it ended up with an extra strawberry flavor boost. If you take a study break and get to make these, please let me know what you think! Good luck on your finals!
Ashley
I love reading your stories : ) I was a 5 pound preemie too. These cookies sound delicious - I love the strawberry and chocolate combination, but combined in a cookie? Even better!
themondaybox
Great things come in small packages, Ashley! 🙂
noyomoco
These sound awesome! I love the idea about the flavored confectioner's sugar!! 🙂
themondaybox
Thanks, Jennifer! I am really excited about the flavored confectioner's sugar too. Basically, any freeze-dried fruit can be used. I found my strawberries at Target but have seen them at Trader Joe's and my regular supermarket in the produce department. They also sell mango, pineapple, blueberry, and banana!
kiran
Sweet stories about your kids cooking for you! And that cookies are to die for! Literally 😀
themondaybox
Thank you, Kiran! The cookies are crunchy, sweet, and full of strawberry flavor. I think they make a great treat for Mother's Day or any day. 🙂
Suzie
I loved the story about your kids cooking for you. I can remember one Mother's day my son had got me a necklace from school, he was so proud to turn in his reading points for that necklace! He must've been about 7 🙂 Last year on Mother's day my son was in Afghanistan. This company out of Georgia lets the soldiers fill out a form and then sends us Moms a gift from our soldier. It had seeds to plant, perfume, a bracelet and other little things, it was so awesome. I told Derek (my son) that I received it and he forgot (being over there you would) that he even filled out the paperwork. Your idea of the chocolate covered strawberry cookies is amazing! You are so creative and I just love that you make things that are shippable....that's a word right? 😉
themondaybox
Suzie, thank you so much for sharing your Mother's Day smiles! How wonderful that Derek was able to send his love from so far away, under such stressful circumstances! Apparently he has been a thoughtful son all his life! I love the story of his trading reading points for a present for you!! Shippable, mailable they all get spell check red lines on my computer but I insist that my spell check must be an outdated version. They are definitely words. 🙂 With your help, I am doing my best to offer desert safe recipes, whenever possible. I hope they will be both delicious and useful. 🙂