Ingredients:

  • 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract, divided
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, cold
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries, pulverized into powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions:

  1. Mix the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla until silky. Use a small spoon to drop 13 dollops onto a parchment lined plate. Pop these in the freezer for at least an hour. They need to be hard enough to handle like little stones. If they're sticky, they'll smear into the dough and you'll lose the 'core' effect.
  2. Pulverize 1 cup of freeze dried strawberries in a blender until they become a fine, dusty powder.
  3. Beat 1 cup cold cubed butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar until the mixture looks like coarse sand.
  4. Incorporate the cold egg and remaining 1 tsp vanilla until just combined and no yellow streaks remain.
  5. In a separate bowl, stir 2 3/4 cups flour, strawberry powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp salt until the color is a uniform pink.
  6. Slowly add the dry mix to the butter mixture until a thick, vibrant dough forms. Fold in 1/2 cup white chocolate chips by hand.
  7. Take a large scoop of dough, flatten it in your palm, place a frozen cream cheese dollop in the center, and seal it completely so no white shows.
  8. Place cookies on a tray and bake at 180°C for 12 minutes until the edges are set and the tops look matte.
  9. Immediately after removing from the oven, use a large circular glass or cookie cutter to swirl around each cookie to make them perfectly round.
  10. Let the cookies rest on the hot pan for 20 minutes until they are firm enough to lift without breaking.