Chocolate and strawberries are a great match. These cookies have a rich chocolate flavor, they remind me of shortbread cookies.

The strawberry filling is a buttercream made with freeze dried strawberries, sugar, cream ad vanilla.

Let’s start with the recipe and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @pastry_tales

Yield about 30 cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used Dutch process)

3/4 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 tablespoons milk (any milk you prefer)

For the filling

1 cup freeze-dried strawberries. Place them into a mixer or food processor and you have to end up with 1/2 cup powdered freeze-dried strawberries

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar, sifter

4 -5 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

Directions

For the cookies

1.- In a bowl mix: flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

2.- In another bowl and using an electric mixer in medium-high speed, cream butter for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, add sugar and cream both ingredients for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in egg and beat for another minute. Add vanilla extract, mix for 30 seconds.

3.- Add dry ingredients into sugar-butter mixture and mix in low speed until all is well mixed and a dough is formed. If you see your dough is a bit dry, add milk little by little. Mix until you see texture of play-doh.

4.- Divide dough in 2 parts, and wrap them in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

5.- After 2 hours, heat your oven to 350 F and lined cookie sheets with parchment paper.

6.- Take your dough out from the fridge and start rolling out one half on top of a floured surface. Use a 2 inch round cookie cutter to cut the circles. Place them on top of your prepared baking sheets and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Please, take your time to chill the cookies before baking, otherwise your cookies will spread and loose shape.

7.- After 15 minutes, bake your cookies for about 10 minutes.

8.- Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the filling

1.- In a bowl cream your butter for 2 minutes. Then, add powdered sugar and keep mixing in medium-high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add freeze dried strawberries. Keep mixing.

2.- Add in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Mix in medium high speed for 1 minute. Finally, add cream/milk little by little until your buttercream is creamy and fluffy.

3.- Place your buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a big round tip. Pipe some buttercream on top of half of the cookies. Finally grab the other half of cookies and press them down on top of the ones that has the filling.

4.- Keep in a airtight container. Enjoy!