Clotted Cream & Strawberry tart and cookies

I'm sure you've noticed that I love entering baking/blogging challenges so when I saw the Best of British Challenge on Chocolate Log Blog who is hosting this month I could hardly say no! Fiona from London Unattached and Karen from Lavender and Lovage came up with this brilliant challenge that will run for 6 months. Each month, a county or region around the UK is selected. To enter, blog about your interpretation of a recipe or dish from that region. The challenge is sponsored by New World Appliances and there is a prize of a £50 Amazon voucher. 

This month it's Cornwall and the first two things I thought of were clotted cream and strawberries. A quick search on google led me to a company that produces clotted cream and strawberry cookies but no recipe so I decided to make my own! It's a variation on a shortbread and I think the proportions still need some tweaking but I was quite pleased with the final result. 

In addition to the flower cookies, I also decided to make some mini tarts filled with clotted cream and fresh strawberry. These cookies/tarts are quite rich as they have butter and clotted cream but were absolutely delicious! There is a faint hint of strawberry in the cookie - I think I will have to add more next time.  Personally I preferred the tarts as I loved the 'extra' clotted cream and fresh strawberry. 

I'm also entering this to Tea Time Treats hosted by Kate from What Kate Baked and Karen from Lavender and Lovage as the theme this month is summer fruits. 

And to the one ingredient challenge hosted by Nazima from Working London Mummy and co-hosted by Laura from How to Cook Good Food.  The theme for June is strawberry.

As strawberries are in season, I'm also entering them to Simple and in Season created by Ren from Fabulicious Food and guest hosted this month by Laura from How to Cook Good Food. 

On to the recipe..... 

 Fresh strawberries, clotted cream, butter and freeze dried strawberries (I found it in Waitrose) 

 Mix the butter and clotted cream

 Adding the freeze dried strawberries at the end - such a pretty colour but turned brown after baking :( 

 I used my mini tart tray

 and cut some flower cookies 

 fill with clotted cream

 top with a fresh strawberry

 my new mini cake stand :) 

 cookies... 

.. or tarts? 

An original recipe by bakingaddict

100g butter, softened 

100g clotted cream

100g caster sugar

200g flour

50g cornflour

5g freeze dried strawberries (I would recommend using the whole tube which is 10g for a stronger strawberry flavour)

• Preheat the oven to 170C.
• Mix the butter and clotted cream in a medium sized bowl. 
• Add the caster sugar, flour and cornflour.
• Mix well. The dough will be slightly wet and sticky at this point.
• Stir in the freeze dried strawberries. 
• Chill the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes until firm.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut using cookie cutters. 
• To make the mini tarts, I used a round cutter and pressed the dough into the mini tart tray. 
• Bake in the oven for approximately 8 - 12 minutes (the mini tarts needed an extra minute or two). 
• If you made the tarts, fill with a dollop of clotted cream and top with a fresh strawberry.

Check out Rodda's 101 excuses for clotted cream if you have any left over!

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored by Rodda's or anyone else. All opinions expressed are my own.