By Perre Coleman Magness, The Runaway Spoon
Makes about 3 dozen
2 cups hulled fresh strawberries
1 cup (2 sticks butter), at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Cut the strawberries into a small dice, roughly the size of a chocolate chip.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until combined. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and the baking powder and salt. Beat until smooth and combined. Using a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the diced strawberries, distributing them evenly in the batter. The mixer will bash them up, so do this by hand.
5. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop the batter by tablespoons about a 1/2 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets until the bottoms are lightly browned and the centers are just firmed up but not brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. If you have the patience, bake one sheet at a time on an upper rack in the oven. Cool the cookies for two minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the cookie sheets and repeat with the remaining batter.
