In a saucepan set over medium heat, cook the granulated sugar and strawberries, stirring constantly, until they are syrupy. About 10 min. It will still appear a little chunky and that’s fine.

Set a mesh colander over a bowl. Pour the strawberry liquid through the strainer and set aside to let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, the 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch, the baking powder and the kosher salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand held mixer, beat the room temperature butter or vegan baking stick and 1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar until soft and creamy. About 2-3 minutes.

Slowly beat the cornstarch water mixture, milk, the cooled strained strawberry liquid (3.5 tablespoons...you may have some left over) and vanilla into the creamed butter and sugar. It will look pale pink and chunky.

Slowly beat in the gluten free flour mixture a little at a time until just combined. If desired, add in ¼ teaspoon red food coloring and mix into the dough so it is blended throughout.

Keep the dough in a bowl, cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2.5 hours. You must not skip this step or the cookies will spread everywhere. I love to chill mine overnight.

After 2.5 hours, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Take the dough out of the fridge. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough out. You should have 12 scoops.

Roll each dough ball in the extra 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to coat completely.

Place dough balls about 3-4 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Store extra dough balls in the fridge while the rest are baking if they don't all fit. I only bake 6 at a time.

Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven. Use a spatula to push them into a circle and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't do this, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess.