You're all in trouble. Why did no one tell me about freeze-dried strawberries? I bought a bag on a whim last week, thinking I'd use them to top yogurt. Well, when I arrived home from the store, I opened the bag and almost consumed the entire thing.
When I posted about them on Instagram, I got a brilliant comment from Marcie, who said she adds them to her chocolate chip cookies. Did I buy a second bag and use them to top my yogurt? No, ma'am. I went right for the cookies.
The strawberries add an unexpected bit of sweet-tart to the cookies, as well
as a bit of chewiness.
At the same time I was discovering freeze-dried strawberries, I also picked up a bag of cocoa nibs. I'm always drawn to them but never buy them. Well, that's changed. Those cocoa nibs add another hit of chocolate and also a great CRUNCH throughout the cookie. I might add them to all of my chocolate chip cookies from now on.
And, you know me. I went ahead and used freeze-dried raspberries to make
Raspberry Brownies, too. Hello, my love.
At the same time I was discovering freeze-dried strawberries, I also picked up a bag of cocoa nibs. I'm always drawn to them but never buy them. Well, that's changed. Those cocoa nibs add another hit of chocolate and also a great CRUNCH throughout the cookie. I might add them to all of my chocolate chip cookies from now on.
(I bought them at Trader Joe's, but I've seen them in the health food section of my grocery store, too.)
Not only are these cookies heavenly, but the cookie dough is also just about the prettiest you'll ever make. ♥
For the cookie dough, I made a version of the famous New York Times/Jacques Torres cookie. It's a favorite. With a few tweaks, the recipe is the perfect vehicle for freeze-dried strawberries.
This is a plan-ahead cookie dough. It rests for 36 hours in the fridge before baking. Don't ask me to explain the science...it just works.
I was a little nervous that the strawberries would get soggy during the resting time, so I waited to stir them in just before baking. Now, after a 36-hour rest, the cookie dough is stiff. You'll want to let it sit at room temperature for an hour, then break it up with a spoon. THEN, stir in the strawberries.
I used a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough. It comes to a little over 2 ounces per cookie. Smaller than the traditional NYT cookie but plenty big.
Look! That is one adorable ball of dough.
Bake and let cool a bit before serving. They're divine while the chocolate chips are still melty but just as good at room temperature.
(Psst...you'll want a scale to make these. This is the one I have. It's inexpensive, and I love it.)
Strawberry Cocoa Nib Chocolate Chip Cookies
{makes 30-36, depending on how much dough you sample}8 ounces cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cut into chunks
10 ounces light brown sugar
8 ounces granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup cocoa nibs
3/4 cup coarsely chopped freeze-dried strawberries
Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars together for several minutes until fluffy and combined. Beat in the eggs, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
On low speed, mix in the flour in two additions. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
Stir in the chocolate chips and nibs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 36 hours.
After 36 hours, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for an hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment.
After an hour or so, use a large spoon to break up the cookie dough, making sure to get all the way to the bottom of the bowl. This will take some elbow grease, as the dough is pretty solid. Once the dough is broken up, stir in the strawberries.
Use a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 15 minutes. The cookies may appear slightly underdone in the very center. They'll continue to cook on the sheet. Let sit on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool.
These cookies will be completely darling for spring treats, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, etc.! (Ok, any day...you get the point.)