News24 | Berry in love: Melt-in-the-middle strawberries and cream Valentine cookies

Strawberry and white chocolate cookies (soft-centre, bakery-style)

Soft in the centre with crisp edges and pockets of creamy white chocolate, these cookies balance sweetness with bright pops of strawberry. Freeze-dried berries bring a concentrated fruit flavour that keeps every bite feeling special without being heavy.

They’re ideal for Valentine’s Day, gifting, or weekend baking, and come together quickly with simple pantry ingredients. For thicker cookies, chill the dough briefly before baking - and don’t skip the flaky salt finish if you like that sweet-salty contrast.

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.

4. Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then add the lemon zest (if using).

5. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined.

6. Gently mix through the white chocolate chips and crushed freeze-dried strawberries, taking care not to overmix.

7. Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto the prepared trays, leaving space for spreading. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt if desired.

8. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centres are still soft.

9. Remove from the oven and, while warm, Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Tips or notes:

• For thicker cookies, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking.
• Lightly crushing the strawberries keeps colour streaks without turning the dough pink.
• These cookies freeze beautifully.
• Swap lemon zest for orange zest for a warmer citrus note.