TIS THE SEASON: FESTIVE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Here’s my holiday twist on a classic chocolate chip cookie. I wanted to make a treat that could be easily transported to Singapore for Christmas gifts. The packets of Fresh As NZ strawberries in my pantry gave me the inspiration I needed!

We used to bake these cookies together to satisfy our cookie monsters. When I make a batch, I think of her.

 

She steals recipes that are easy to make and chocoholic so she can get through her long days as a doctor. The recipe is perfect for her, and she requested the strawberry version as soon as she saw it on Instagram. I thought that her approval was enough to share.

To add a festive touch, I drizzled white chocolate over the cookies and sprinkled crushed freeze-dried strawberries on top. When they were wrapped and ready to go, the cookies looked like lovely brown paper packages with string.

The cookies that I sent from Sydney to Singapore were in perfect condition, and the recipients loved them.

I CONFESS

I play with cookies a lot more selectively, so I wouldn’t say I like to stray from the recipes I enjoy. I’ve been making chocolate chip cookies for years. This is the first time that I have tried this variation to make it a bit more festive and fun. You can choose between the two versions I’ve shared.

A little Freeze Dried Fruit Powder packs a powerful punch of flavor. I replaced a small amount of flour with freeze-dried powder in the basic recipe. I chopped up whole freeze-dried strawberry pieces and added them to the cookie dough in order to balance the sweetness of the white chocolate. It was a while ago that I learned that freeze-dried whole berries could burn when they are placed on top of the batter during baking (whoops!) To avoid making the same mistake again, I sprinkled a little water on top of the berries just before folding them in.

Grab your baking gear and Michael Buble’s Christmas playlist to spread joy this holiday season!

Ingredients

Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Soft Unsalted Butter 150g
  • Soft light brown sugar 125g
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1Oneegg (fridge – cold)
  • One egg yolk (fridge – cold)
  • Half a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda
  • 300g of flour
  • Chocolate chips (dark, milk, or white) – 225g – 300g You can add a lot of chocolate chips to the recipe, and you can adjust the ratio based on how chocolaty you like i

Strawberry White Chocolate Variation: Change only the following ingredients in the recipe above.

  • 290g of flour
  • Fresh as NZ Strawberry Powder 15g
  • White Chocolate Chips 225g
  • Optional: 5 strawberries, chopped up. Or 5g of frozen strawberry pieces rehydrated with a small amount of water.

 

Method

Strawberry White Chocolate Chip Cookie

  1. PrPreheathe oven to 170degC/325degF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Melt the butter, and then cool it.
  3. Pour the butter slightly cooled over the sugars, and mix until combined.
  4. Beat the mixture until it is light and creamy. Add the vanilla, the cold egg, and the cold yolk of the egg.
  5. The flour, bicarb, and freeze-dried fruit powder should be sieved. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients slowly until they are combined.
  6. Fold in the chocolate pieces and strawberry pieces gently until they are combined. If you are using freeze-dried fruit pieces, rehydrate the pieces before folding them in.
  7. Drop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet. For small cookies, use a tablespoon. For large cookies, use a quarter cup. Place the cookies at least 5cm/2 inches apart so they have room to expand as they bake.
  8. Make sure to keep the cookie dough bowl in the refrigerator between batches.
  9. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, r until the edge is lightly toasted. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack. Note: the earlier you remove the cookies, the chewier and softer they will be. After 5 minutes, the cookies will harden on the baking sheet as they cool. Take them out while the middle is smooth and the edges just begin to toast (after approximately 10 minutes of cooking) for cookies that are chewy on the inside and crunchy on the exterior. If you want cookies that have more crunch, let them bake for 15 minutes in the oven before removing them to cool.

 

 

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