Raspberry Cookies

Some pairings work almost as a matter of course. A generous cookie, lightly crisp, melting at the center, and a few delicately tart raspberries… that is all it takes to make a moment of real pleasure.

Today I wanted to offer you another version of my fruit cookies, this time with one of my favorite fruits: the raspberry.

I particularly love its perfume, its beautiful color and above all that touch of acidity that wakes up sweet preparations.

And what I appreciate about raspberries is that they let you make wonderful desserts without necessarily waiting for summer.

Because yes, these cookies were made with frozen raspberries, both in the dough and on top.

That is what I love about this recipe: being able to find these fruity flavors in the middle of fall or winter, when the days get shorter and you sometimes want something sweet that recalls the fine weather.

Frozen fruit is particularly practical for that. It lets you bake all year round, without having to give up flavors you love.

And I can assure you this version works wonderfully.

When the sweetness of the cookie meets the tartness of the raspberry

What makes these cookies particularly interesting is the contrast of textures and flavors.

On one side we have this generous cookie dough, with a good proportion of plant-based margarine, brown sugar and almond butter, which brings a rich, satisfying texture.

On the other we have the raspberry, with its delicate perfume and its natural acidity.

Eating them, the balance is genuinely pleasant. The sweetness of the cookie wraps around the flavor of the fruit without making it disappear.

And when you bite into a raspberry that is still slightly soft, you get that little burst of freshness that makes the whole thing.

I also very much like the idea of adding a few chopped pistachios. Raspberry and pistachio make a particularly fine pair. The pistachio brings a nutty note, a little extra crunch and a lovely touch of color.

But rest assured, it is absolutely not essential. These cookies stand perfectly well on their own.

Gluten-free and fully plant-based, but above all very good

As always in my kitchen, my aim is to make gluten-free, entirely plant-based pastry without giving up the textures and sensations you expect from a traditional treat.

A cookie has to stay a cookie. It has to hold together, be pleasant to bite into, keep a certain generosity and, above all, make you want another.

For this recipe I use wholegrain rice flour, plant-based margarine and almond butter.

The raspberry purée goes straight into the dough, so you find its perfume in the cookie itself. The raspberries set on top bring an extra fruity note and a particularly appetizing look.

And even if these cookies ask for a little more attention than a classic one, making them is entirely within reach. The secret lies mainly in the shaping and the baking.

My secret for raspberry cookies: two bakes

This is certainly the most important technical point of the recipe.

When you work with fruit, and particularly with frozen fruit, you have to account for the water it contains. Raspberries are naturally rich in water. During baking they release some of that moisture.

If you put them straight onto the dough from the start, they risk making it too wet. The result would be a cookie far too soft, losing some of its crispness and its hold.

So I chose to use exactly the same method as for my strawberry cookies: a two-stage bake. You start by baking the cookies on their own, with no fruit on top. Then, after that first bake, you gently add the raspberries and return the cookies to the oven.

This lets the dough begin to set before the moisture from the fruit arrives.

Another essential point: I strongly recommend making these cookies in suitable molds or in stainless steel pastry rings. They are quite generous and the dough naturally tends to spread while baking. The rings keep a good thickness and give you nicely even cookies.

Finally, a spell in the freezer before baking is genuinely recommended. You will see — with a little organization, all of this becomes very simple.

A few words on choosing the ingredients

The plant-based margarine. For this recipe I recommend using a plant-based margarine with 80% fat. That matters for getting the texture you are after and a dough that handles properly.

The raspberry purée. Personally I simply use frozen raspberries, which I let thaw before blending. That gives you a raspberry purée with no added sugar. If the small seeds bother you, you can pass the purée through a sieve to remove them, then weigh out the 50 g the recipe needs. You can also use a store-bought raspberry purée, checking its composition and whether sugar has been added.

The almond butter. It contributes to the richness and the texture of the cookie. Another nut butter could be considered, though I have not tested every variation.

The food coloring. It is entirely optional. You might think the raspberry purée is enough to give the dough a deep pink color, but that is not necessarily the case after baking. If you want cookies of a very pronounced pink, you can add a small amount of food coloring suitable for a plant-based diet. Personally I prefer to let the ingredients speak as naturally as possible. The color may be more discreet, but that changes nothing about how good your cookies are.

The chopped pistachios. This is my extra suggestion for those who like the pairing. A few pieces of unsalted pistachio, scattered on the cookies, give a lovely finish and a touch of crunch. Your call.

What you will need

• A stand mixer fitted with the paddle, or a bowl and a spatula
• A baking sheet
• Six individual stainless steel pastry rings, or oven-safe silicone cookie molds
• A precision scale
• A freezer