Eat Well, Live Happy: White Chocolate and Raspberry Cookies

Last month my cousin John's fiance Emilee brought White Chocolate and Raspberry Cookies to our annual cousin's Christmas party. I was so full from all of the homemade pasta, meatballs, bread, and salad that I didn't even have any dessert (a first for me!), but these cookies looked delicious, and everyone who tried them said they were too. My sister Regina asked Emilee for the recipe and tried them a week or two ago and sent me a picture of hers, which then prompted me to buy raspberries when I saw them on sale this week and give them a try too. I should add that I don't like white chocolate unless it is paired with raspberries! It's just not my thing - I'm a dark chocolate kind of girl...but these cookies are amazing.

I used a 6-ounce package of raspberries which was exactly enough for a double recipe. I also used Ghirardelli white chocolate chips. I had a Ghirardelli white chocolate bar that I could have chopped up but I decided to save that for when I make something that needs melted white chocolate. I used a medium cookie scoop for the first tray of cookies, but thought they were a bit big. I used a small cookie scoop for the remaining trays, and they were a bit small. Next time I'll overfill the small scoop a bit.

My cookies did not look as appetizing as my sister Regina's did because my raspberries bled a little bit and left some parts of the cookies blue. Next time I will wash them further in advance and let them dry completely. I had them drying on a paper towel but they were not completely dry when I added them to the cookie dough. The cookie dough was also thick, so it was difficult to fold in the white chocolate and then "gently" fold the raspberries into it without crushing them too much. My baking helper and taste-tester Anthony approved of these cookies, and that is all that matters in my book!

These cookies would make a great dessert for Valentine's Day. They would also pair very nicely for any spring or summer gathering with the Lemon Burst Cookies that I posted a while ago (and have yet to make myself, but hope to soon). These were delicious, so give them a try!

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cookies

Recipe courtesy Cookie Dough Diaries website

These white chocolate and raspberry cookies are soft and chewy and so easy to make! They're ready in under 20 minutes, there's no chilling required, and they can be made using fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried raspberries!

¾ cup butter, softened

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

½ Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

¾ teaspoon baking soda

2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup raspberries, roughly chopped (fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried)

½ cup white chocolate, chopped (or white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda.

In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, combine butter and both sugars, mixing until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes.

Add in the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.

Mix in the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda) until combined. Do not over-mix! Fold in the white chocolate.

Gently fold in the raspberries. (Careful not to squish them too much into the dough!)

Use a cookie scoop or your hands to form 1.5 tablespoon sized balls of dough. Place the dough onto the baking sheets, around 3-4 inches apart and bake one sheet at a time, for 8-10 minutes.

Refrigerate remaining cookie dough while the first baking sheet is in the oven. The edges will be slightly golden brown and the tops will look set, but soft.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 40 cookies.

NOTES:

WHITE CHOCOLATE: You can use white chocolate bars chopped up, or white chocolate chips. This can be regular white chocolate or dairy free white chocolate. For gooey puddles of white chocolate in your cookies, press a couple more pieces of white chocolate into each cookie before baking.

RASPBERRIES: This recipe calls for fresh raspberries, but you can also use frozen or freeze-dried raspberries. If using fresh raspberries, I don't recommend adding more than the recipe calls for, or else your dough may be too wet.

Storage and Freezing: Store the cookies in an airtight container or ziploc bag at room temperature for 3-5 days.

The baked cookies can be frozen in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature when you're ready to eat them.