Strawberry and White Chocolate Snickerdoodles

There’s something about a snickerdoodle. It could be the quirky name (because who doesn’t love the name Snickerdoodle?). 

But it could also be that they feel...cosy.

They’re soft in the middle and a little crisp on the edges…and they’re the kind of bickie you make when you don’t want to overthink things but still want something really good.

But lately, I’ve been playing around with a secret ingredient in my snickerdoodle recipe…and let’s just say, my regular snickerdoodle recipe has had a bit of a glow-up.

The secret? Freeze dried fruit powder!

A little while back, a great Aussie business called LYONS RAW sent me some of their freeze-dried fruit powders to test in my recipes.

And I love their story.

Two Aussie brothers, Jack and Tom, started the business after travelling overseas and noticing how other countries were showcasing their own superfoods (like Brazil with acai).

They realised Australia has just as much to offer so, they created a range of fruit powders using Aussie-grown fruit, and they manufacture and package everything right here in Australia.

Which, let’s be honest, is pretty rare these days.

And here’s what I really love about them:

• 100% Australian fruit
• Made and packaged locally
• Long shelf life (no more sad, mouldy strawberries in the fridge)

You can add them to just about anything! 

Using freeze dried fruit powders brings all the flavour of the fruit without the moisture which means, you can pretty much add them to anything to boost the flavour, without worrying about unbalancing the recipe and this is why I was so excited to give them a go.  

So, I started with my recipe for snickerdoodles. Because if something works in a basic, tried-and-true recipe you know you’re onto something.

Why this works, and why I love these powders...

Here’s the thing most people don’t realise…

When you add fresh fruit to baking, you’re not just adding flavour, you’re adding moisture. And that’s where things can go sideways pretty quickly.

• Flat cookies
• Soggy centres
• Ratios thrown out the window

But freeze-dried fruit?
It gives you all the flavour without the extra liquid. 🤩

Which means you can add it straight into your dough without having to adjust anything else.
It feels like you’re cheating…but I don’t think anyone's going to complain! 😁

No need to worry about removing anything else from the recipe.
Just mix it in and off you go.

The Result

These strawberry snickerdoodles are packed with real strawberry flavour and just a little bit addictive.

But ya know…I couldn’t help myself.

I had to add a drizzle of white chocolate and a sprinkle of extra strawberry powder on top...just to finish them off!

Totally optional.
Highly recommended! 😉

I know you’re going to love these. so if you give them a go let me know what you think. 😊

Strawberry and White Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Makes: 24 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Chilling Time: 30 minutes

Baking Time: 8 - 10 minutes

 Ingredients

• 220g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 25g Lyons Raw freeze-dried strawberry powder
• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 300g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs (100g cracked weight) room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Decoration

• 30g white chocolate melts
• 3g freeze dried strawberry powder

 Method

1. In a medium mixing bowl, place the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, freeze-dried strawberry powder and salt, stir well with a whisk to combine then set aside. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 3 – 4 minutes until light and fluffy scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
3. Lightly beat the eggs and vanilla together then add a quarter at a time to the butter and sugar mixer beating well between each addition. Once all of the egg mixture has been added, beat on medium speed for a further minute or until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. 

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix by hand using a wooden spoon or spatula until a dough begins to form and there is no visible flour. Don’t overmix the dough or the cookies will be tough. 

5. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175°C / 155°C fan forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and set aside. 

7. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll into 20g balls then place onto the lined baking trays leaving 5cm between each to allow for spreading. 

8. Flatten slightly then bake for approx. 7 - 9 minutes. The cookies will look slightly underdone but will set up once cooled.
9. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. 

10. Melt the white chocolate and transfer to a piping bag. Use some scissors to cut a small opening at the tip of the piping bag and pipe lines of white chocolate over the surface of the cookies and finish with a sprinkle of strawberry powder over the top.

Storage

• Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months, raw cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

I used Lyons Raw Freeze-Dried Strawberry Powder for this recipe. The flavour is amazing. You can find out more about their products here https://www.lyonsraw.com.au/