Freeze-dried raspberries ground to powder flavour and colour the dough, with two or three drops of pink gel taking it to the bright shade in the picture.
After twenty minutes in the fridge the dough is scooped into eighteen balls, rolled generously in sugar and baked until the tops crack.
Ingredient Notes
- Freeze-dried raspberries
- A third of a cup, ground to powder.
- Pink gel colouring
- Two to three drops; the bright pink comes from the gel, not the fruit alone.
- Rolling sugar
- A third of a cup for the coating.
How to Make It
Dough flavoured
Beat the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until creamy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, raspberry powder and enough pink gel coloring to make a bright pink dough.
Dry mixed and chilled
Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt just until combined. Chill the dough 20 minutes so it is firm enough to roll.
Rolled in sugar
Heat the oven to 350°F. Scoop 18 portions, roll each into a ball and coat generously in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar.
Baked
Bake on parchment-lined sheets for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops crack and the edges are set. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a rack.
Order of Additions
Colour and flavour go in before the flour.
First
Butter and 3/4 cup sugar, creamed
Then
Egg, vanilla, raspberry powder and pink gel
Until the dough is bright pink.
Then
Flour, baking powder and salt
Mixed just until combined, then chilled 20 minutes.
Before baking
A generous roll in granulated sugar
Success Tips
- Grind the raspberries finely so there are no seeds in the crumb.
- Roll the balls generously so the coating cracks well.
- Cool five minutes on the sheet before moving them.
Why This Recipe Works
- Freeze-dried raspberries add flavour without adding moisture.
- Chilling keeps the rolled balls from spreading flat.
- A generous sugar coat is what produces the crackled surface.
- Taking them out while the centres are soft keeps them dense and chewy.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Store airtight at room temperature up to 4 days.
Serving Ideas
Serve at room temperature; the crackled sugar top stays crisp for a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the colour come from?
Ground freeze-dried raspberries plus two or three drops of pink gel colouring.
Why chill the dough?
Twenty minutes firms it so the cookies hold their shape.
