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These Strawberries & Cream cookies offer a unique twist on traditional cookies, featuring a refreshing burst of fresh strawberry flavor paired with creamy white chocolate. Each cookie is a perfect balance of fruitiness and sweetness, making the an irresistible treat for all ages.
Baking these cookies is always a joy, especially with the surprising freshness the freeze-dried strawberries bring to each bite. The combination of strawberries and white chocolate creates a luxurious creme flavor thats both sophisticated and comforting. This recipe is perfect for those looking to add a fresh and fruity twist to their cookie repertoire.
The Chemistry of Strawberries and Cream Cookies
The magic in these cookies comes from the interplay of ingredients. The baking soda acts as a leavening agent, giving the cookies their lift and lightness. The combination of unsalted butter and shortening provides a riche, tender texture, while the eggs bind the dough together. The real star, however, is the freeze-dried strawberries, which infuse the cookies with an intense berry flavor without adding extra moisture.
Can you use fresh strawberries instead of freeze dried?
It’s best to stick with freeze-dried strawberries in this recipe. Fresh strawberries can add too much moisture in this recipe. Fresh strawberries can add too much moisture, potentially making the cookies too wet and altering their texture.
How do you ensure the cookies don’t spread too much?
Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking is crucial as it helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much and losing shape.
Can these cookies be made gluten-free?
Yes, by substituting the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend, you can make these cookies gluten-free. Make sure the blend is suitable for cookies. My favorite gluten-free flour to bake with is Bob’s Red Mill One to One.
How should these cookies be stored?
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain their freshness.
How to cream your butter & sugar
First, combine your butter & sugar in a standing mixer. Then, turn the mixer on high for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl every 30 seconds. When the mixture is creamed it will be lighter in color and texture. Here is a visual example of how the ingredients look when just combined vs. creamed:
What is in Strawberries and Cream Cookies?
All-purpose Flour
Builds structure as it absorbs liquids and expands. All-purpose flour falls in the middle of bread flour (high in gluten) and cake flour (low in gluten). It’s exactly what it is named, all-purpose, the most universal flour that can be used in most baked goods.
Baking Soda
Elevates the pH level of your batter or dough. It increases the spread in your treat and encourages browning, which gives the crispy outside and soft inside texture that everyone loves. Baking soda needs both an acid and a liquid to react. Things that will activate your baking soda are: vinegar, fruit juice, molasses, brown sugar, tartar, buttermilk and sour cream. Baking soda only reacts once, which is right when it’s mixed into your batter or dough. The soda creates little air bubbles all throughout your treat. When the air bubbles get heated up in the oven, they expand.
Fine Sea Salt
Enhances flavor, adds balance, masks any bitter flavors. Salt is the most powerful and oldest preservative. Always make sure to use fine sea salt so it melts down at the right speed in the heat of the oven. If you use larger granule salt, it will not melt down fully when baked and will leave salt crystals throughout your treat, making it crunch like you dropped it into sand.
Unsalted Butter
It is always important to use unsalted butter when baking. If you use salted butter, you have no way of knowing how much salt you are adding to your dough or batter and it will result in an overly salted treat.
Butter adds fats to your dough or batter which helps with moistness, flavor and texture. Butter melts at body temperature, which creates a ‘melt in your mouth’ sensation.
When baking with butter, the temperature is important. If the butter is too warm, your treat will melt too fast and overspread in the oven, leaving you with a greasy, flat mess. If your butter is too cold, it will have the opposite problem and not melt down enough, leaving your treat too thick.
Shortening
Being 100% fat, it provides a flakier texture and prevents spreading because it does not melt down in the oven.
Brown Sugar
Is granulated sugar with a little molasses mixed in. Molasses is a somewhat smoky flavored natural sweetener, which makes brown sugar a bit sweeter than granulated sugar. Brown sugar draws more moisture into your treat, keeping it softer for longer. It’s also more acidic, which means it will help activate your baking soda.
Granulated Sugar
Adds sweetness, provides a caramelized flavor and crisp texture. Sugar assists with rising when creamed with butter. It helps add moisture to your treat and helps it evenly spread as it melts into a liquid in the heat of the oven. Sugar also helps with naturally preserving your baked treat.
Eggs
Adds both a protein (egg whites) and fat (egg yolks). The egg whites help with rising because, when foamed, little air pockets get trapped inside the egg white mixture. The water content in egg whites encourages steam while baking, which helps with gluten formation, resulting in nice and thick treats. Egg yolks have emulsifying properties that bring batters and doughs together and help them from collapsing. Unless otherwise specified, always use large eggs.
Vanilla Extract
When using pure vanilla extract, as opposed to imitation flavoring, it will add the deep rich flavor that everybody wants in a treat.
White Chocolate Chips
Made of milk, sugar and cocoa butter. No actual cocoa solids are used in white chocolate. White chocolate is sweeter than milk or dark chocolate.
Freeze Dried Strawberries
Offer a concentrated strawberry flavor without extra moisture.
Storage Tips
These cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.
Making Ahead
The cookie dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. The resting time in the fridge will enhance the flavors, plus make the baking process more convenient.
Recommended Equipment
Why make strawberries and cream cookies?
Strawberries and cream cookies are a delightful way to enjoy the essence of strawberries in a sweet, baked form. They’re perfect for those who love the combination of fruit and chocolate, offering a unique and indulgent experience. I know you will enjoy baking and sharing these delightful treats!
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Strawberries and Cream Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 bag white chocolate chips
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries **pulverized, after measuring**
- 1 cup rainbow sprinkles **optional**
Instructions
- In a standing mixer, mix your butter, shortening & sugars
- Once combined, whip the sugar mixture on high for 1-2 minutes until lighter in color and texture
- Stir in eggs & vanilla. Be sure to not over mix.
- Pour in flour, soda & salt
- Mix until the dough comes together & then stop
- Fold in white chocolate chips, freeze dried strawberries & optional sprinkles.
- Cover bowl & place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Scoop cookie dough with a cookie scoop onto a light metal cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
- Bake for 8 minutes
- Remove cookies and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes
- Transfer cookies off of the cookie sheet and enjoy
Nutrition
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