Strawberry Shortcake Mallomars

I'm so sorry for these lackluster photos. Especially because these cookies were so amazing! Recently I was feeling the winter blues and decided to bring out some springtime flavors. Obviously I don't have any freshly picked spring strawberries, but I do have freshly picked, frozen strawberries!

Now you know that I'm a huge fan of making marshmallows. I could probably make them in my sleep now. I can't believe that I never used strawberries to make a strawberry marshmallow! By simply swapping out the water for pureed strawberries, you too can have these fluffy marshmallows in your life! This is also the perfect time of year to make marshmallows, cool temperatures and low humidity are a candy makers dream conditions!

Not only are these cookies a reminder that spring is only a few weeks away (no matter what that silly groundhog has to say!), but they are perfect for February and Valentine's Day! A mixture of red, pink and white sanding sugar really amps up the holiday theme. I'd recommend topping them with a candy heart and giving them to your favorite person.

One Year Ago: J@H - Fauxritos
Two Years Ago: Parmesan Fries
Three Years Ago: Magnolia's Banana Pudding
Four Years Ago: Homemade Granola
Five Years Ago: Homemade Fondant
Six Years Ago: Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Strawberry Shortcake Mallomars

A Wilde Original

Shortbread Cookie

via Martha Stewart

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together flour and salt. In another bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix until the flour is incorporated and dough just comes together.

Divide dough in half. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat pads. Roll out chilled dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 2-inch circles and place on the prepared baking sheet. Chill dough circles for 30 minutes in the fridge. Preheat oven to 325 ⁰F. Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until just browned on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet. Remove to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.

Strawberry Marshmallows

Bloom

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons strawberry puree
2 tablespoons powdered gelatin

Strawberry syrup

1/4 cup water
1/3 cup strawberry puree
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar

Stir together gelatin and strawberry puree in a small bowl until there are no gelatin lumps.

In a 3-quart saucepan combine ingredients for the strawberry syrup. Clip on a candy thermometer and bring to a boil over medium heat. Do not stir the syrup and let the mixture come up to a temperature of 250 ⁰F.

Remove from the heat and whisk in bloom. Pour marshmallow syrup into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using whisk attachment, whip syrup on medium for 3 minutes. Slowly turn up to high and whip for a total of ten minutes. The marshmallow batter should hold a stuff peak.

Transfer marshmallow batter to a piping bag with a 1-cm round tip. Pipe blobs of marshmallow on top of the shortbread cookies. Top each cookie with a white chocolate chip and coat in red/pink/white sanding sugar. Let cookies set up for 1 hour before packing them up.  Cookies will keep well at room temperature for 1 week.