Raspberry Cookie Recipes - Get Ready For a Flavor Explosion!

Raspberry Cookie Recipes - Get Ready For a Flavor Explosion!

Sometimes you have to be inventive to get your children to eat fruit. You seldom have to persuade them to eat cookies. So why not bake up something extra that is wholesome for them and easy for you? Get them complex in baking. If they prefer, use other berries or fruits. Or add more nutrients and vitamins by adding a spice. Try 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon cardamom. ExperiMent with extracts. Use vanilla, coconut or a little peppermint, if you can't find a raspberry passage or don't want to run to the store.

Raspberry Drop Cookies

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease (or cover with parchMent paper) a flat cookie sheet. Baking time will be 12 to 14 minutes, depending upon whether you use fresh or frozen raspberries. The frozen ones have more moisture (try draining them first) and may take a little longer to bake. Only one bowl is necessary.

Cream: 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
with 1/2 cup powdered sugar
and 1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract

Add: 1 cup flour
Stir in: 1/2 cup chopped raspberries

Cream the first three ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour and stir in the raspberries. Drop with a cookie scoop and bake 12 to 14 minutes. Cookies should have golden edges.

This batch will make just 16-18 cookies when using a tablespoon scoop, so you may want to double the method or make two batches using a dissimilar fruit in each. Your child can mirror what you do. Excellent for those independent kids, who want to do it themselves. Since there are no eggs, it is all right if you or your children want to flavor test the raw dough. I often use a non-hydrogenated vegetable oil/butter blend with about a third less fat. It works great. You can use bleached or unbleached flour, but the unbleached is less sticky and thus pops out of your cookie scoop easier.

This is a great way to use up those leftover raspberries, blueberries or even strawberries. I recently wowed a friend with my blueberry version using a coconut extract. Cut the blueberries in half and bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Form about 80-89 fat for each raspberry cookie, depending on the type of butter you use.