Berry Love
Norfolk County is known as “Ontario’s Garden,” and for good reason. Its sandy soils and warmer-than-the-rest-of-Canada temperatures means asparagus, cabbage, sweet potatoes cucumbers, peanuts, pumpkins and strawberries. For Robin Reitz, owner of Ritzy Cakes & Eatery in Waterford, it’s all about the berries this time of year. After you’ve eaten your fill of them fresh, try these cookies.
Strawberry Cookies
(makes about 2 dozen cookies)
3/4 cup fresh strawberries chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup softened salted butter
4 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons flour for dusting the berries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Soak chopped strawberries in the lemon juice, and drain after a few minutes. Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder, and set aside for a moment. Beat butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat in.
Gradually add the flour mixture until blended. Sprinkle the drained strawberry with the 1-2 tablespoons of flour until coated and gently stir into batter mixture. Drop a heaping tablespoon of batter onto the parchment paper, spacing approximately 1 inch apart. Refrigerate the cookies for 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until edges are golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack.
(makes about 2 dozen cookies)
3/4 cup fresh strawberries chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup softened salted butter
4 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons flour for dusting the berries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Soak chopped strawberries in the lemon juice, and drain after a few minutes. Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder, and set aside for a moment. Beat butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat in.
Gradually add the flour mixture until blended. Sprinkle the drained strawberry with the 1-2 tablespoons of flour until coated and gently stir into batter mixture. Drop a heaping tablespoon of batter onto the parchment paper, spacing approximately 1 inch apart. Refrigerate the cookies for 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until edges are golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack.