Strawberry Pie Cookies

First, make the cornstarch slurry by mixing together the cold water and cornstarch until a cloudy paste forms. Set aside.
Cut the strawberries into small bite-sized pieces and add to a saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice.
Stir together and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and strawberries begin to soften.
Then, add in the cornstarch slurry, stir, and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, continue cooking until the mixture becomes thick and glossy (about 2-3 minutes).
Remove the strawberry filling from the heat and pour it into a small bowl or container. Store it in the fridge to cool while you make the cookie dough.

Add the room-temperature vegan butter, ½ cup of white sugar, and brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Then, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Next, add the flax egg and vanilla bean paste to the bowl and mix with the butter and sugar for about 30 seconds.
Add the all-purpose flour, ground graham crackers, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Make sure to add the flour first and then add the other ingredients on top. Mix everything together with the electric mixer until a thick cookie dough forms.
Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes- 1 hour. The dough can also be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

About 10 minutes before removing the dough from the fridge, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge and use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out 10-11 evenly-sized cookies. Roll each cookie dough ball between your palms to form a round ball. Then, roll each ball in a bowl with the 2 tablespoon of sugar that was set aside so that each dough ball is coated in sugar.
Place the cookie dough balls onto the baking sheet. Then, slightly press each dough ball down with your palm.
Use your thumb to make an indent in the center of each cookie and then use your fingers to spread the dough out and make the indent larger. Then, spoon about 1 Tablespoon of the cooled strawberry pie filling into the indented center of each cookie.
Once filled, make sure the cookies are at least 2 inches apart on the baking tray, as they will spread while baking. Then, add the tray to the oven and bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes until the edges are crisp and the centers are set but still gooey.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While the cookies are still warm, use a spoon to gently shape the cookies into perfectly round circles if desired.
Then, move the cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling. Once cooled, serve & enjoy!

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