These raspberry sugar cookies have tangy cream cheese and freeze-dried raspberries in the dough, just like conventional cut-out sugar cookies. These bright pink cookies are lovely right out of the oven, but you can dress them up with melted chocolate or any of our other suggested toppings. You'll like these on Valentine's Day or any other time when you're craving something sweet.

Have you ever tried baking our traditional sugar cookies? They're a classic sugar cookie with soft centres and somewhat crisp edges, and they're a household favourite. We also have a recipe for cut-out cream cheese cookies with Nutella sauce, which elevates sugar cookies to new heights.

I experimented with freeze-dried raspberries in the same cream cheese sugar cookie recipe. The outcome was a berry-flavored cookie that was extremely delicate and had the most beautiful (and natural!) pink/magenta colour. I imagined you'd like to try them out at home.

Please describe these raspberry sugar cookies to me.

The texture of these raspberry sugar cookies is unusual for a cut-out sugar cookie, as it is soft and almost creamy.

Start here if you're looking for FLAVOR in your sugar cookies. The cream cheese adds a tiny acidity, but the raspberries provide the most of the flavour. I enjoy that we're utilising freeze-dried berries rather than artificial raspberry flavouring.

Ease: Sugar cookies made with cookie cutters, in any type and taste, aren't as simple to make as drop cookies. If you're acquainted with a rolling pin and cookie cutters, however, the process won't seem that difficult. This method requires an extra step, but it's a simple one: before using, ground the freeze-dried berries into powder.

Time: It only takes a few minutes for the cookie dough to come together. It should be chilled for at least 2 hours after rolling it out. The cookies will lose their shape if they aren't chilled, therefore it's an important step. The dough should then be cut into shapes, leftovers re-rolled, and baked. To finish this dish, set aside a few hours.

How to Make Raspberry Sugar Cookies in a Nutshell

Make a powder out of freeze-dried raspberries.

Make the dough for sugar cookies. Before adding the sugar, mix the butter and cream cheese together as directed in the recipe. 1 egg and vanilla extract are also required. Almond extract is optional, but if you have some on hand, it's a wonderful addition. Flour, raspberry powder, baking powder, and salt make up the dry ingredients. Cut into two pieces.

Cookie dough should be rolled out. Roll each section out to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Because the dough is sticky, have additional flour on hand.

Roll out the dough and chill it for at least 2 hours.

Shapes should be cut off. Reroll all of your scraps; you'll be shocked at how many cookies this amount of dough yields.

Bake and let cool. Before decorating the cookies, allow them to cool on the baking pans.

Description

This cream cheese sugar cookie dough is coloured and flavoured with ground freeze-dried raspberries. The cookies can be left plain, but we prefer them with melted chocolate on top.

Instructions

Using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried raspberries into a powder. You’ll have around 1/2 cup.

Whisk the raspberry powder, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium-high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat until mixture is fluffy and combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Dough will be very soft and creamy.

Generously flour your hands and rolling pin. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat to about 1/4-inch thickness. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.

Lightly dust one of the rolled-out doughs with flour. Place a piece of parchment on top. (This prevents sticking.) Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Carefully remove the top dough piece from the refrigerator. If it’s sticking to the bottom, run your hand under it to help remove it. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. (I like these heart cookie cutters.) Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd piece of dough. Note: It doesn’t seem like a lot of dough, but you get a lot of cookies from the dough scraps you re-roll.

Arrange cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 12-13 minutes until very lightly browned around the edges. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

For optional chocolate decorating: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or use the microwave. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Dip cooled cookies in the melted chocolate or drizzle each with melted chocolate, then place back onto the baking sheets. Allow chocolate to set in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.