Raspberry Sugar Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle Recipe
Delightfully fruity and buttery Raspberry Sugar Cookies made with freeze-dried raspberries for an intense raspberry flavor and a delightful texture. These soft cookies have a subtle tang from cream cheese and a hint of almond extract, finished optionally with a luscious chocolate drizzle and extra raspberry powder for a beautiful presentation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 2 cups freeze-dried raspberries, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
For the Chocolate Topping (Optional):
- 4 oz semi-sweet or white chocolate, chopped
- Extra freeze-dried raspberry powder for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Raspberry Powder and Pieces: Crush 1½ cups of the freeze-dried raspberries into a fine powder using a food processor or mortar and pestle. Coarsely chop the remaining ½ cup of raspberries to add texture. Set both aside for later use.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined evenly. This ensures proper leavening and consistent flavor throughout the dough.
- Cream Butter and Cream Cheese: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the softened butter and cream cheese together for about 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step contributes to the cookies’ tender texture.
- Add Sugar: Gradually add the granulated sugar to the butter and cream cheese mixture, beating for another 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy and well incorporated.
- Incorporate Egg and Extracts: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) just until combined to avoid overmixing which can toughen the cookies.
- Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients: Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to overmix for a tender crumb.
- Fold in Raspberry Powder and Pieces: Using a wooden spoon, gently fold in the raspberry powder and chopped raspberry pieces until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Shape Cookies: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 11-13 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underbaked. This ensures a soft texture as the cookies will continue to cook slightly on the hot baking sheets after removal.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Optional Chocolate Topping: Melt the chopped chocolate in 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring between intervals until smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over cooled cookies and sprinkle with extra freeze-dried raspberry powder for garnish and extra flavor.
Notes
- Using room temperature ingredients ensures better mixing and texture.
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added to keep cookies tender.
- Freeze-dried raspberries add intense flavor without moisture, so they are perfect for cookie dough.
- The almond extract is optional but enhances the raspberry flavor beautifully.
- Allowing cookies to cool on the baking sheet helps them set without becoming hard.
- Chocolate topping is optional but adds a lovely contrast to the tart raspberry flavor.
Keywords: Raspberry cookies, sugar cookies, freeze-dried raspberries, cream cheese cookies, chocolate drizzle cookies, homemade cookies
