Raspberry White Chocolate Biscuits (Cookies)

I have been making these biscuits (or cookies), for about three years now. I had all good intentions of posting the recipe on the blog a long time ago, I even took some photos of them back in January 2017, but for some reason the recipe never made it here. Until now!

The original recipe comes from Claire Ptak’s book ‘ The Violet Bakery Cookbook’, which I have written more about here. I have adapted the recipe to suit my tastes, and inability to eat ‘normal’ chocolate as all good chocolate chip cookie recipes contain. I love the combination of raspberry and white chocolate, and I have found that using freeze dried raspberries work really well (I buy mine from Fresh As in New Zealand). I have also adapted this recipe to make Sesame and Pistachio Biscuits, you can find the recipe here. 

To add to the raspberry flavour, I also sometimes use a drop of Aftelier Perfumes Raspberry Chef’s Essence. I bought this online along with a couple of others in 2016, after hearing an interview with the owner of Aftelier on the podcast Radio Cherry Bombe. Unfortunately the product listing on Aftelier’s website now days for sale in the US only, which is a shame. If you don’t have anything like this, don’t worry just leave it out completely. I don’t use it every time I make these and the biscuits are delicious each time. And please don’t be tempted to use artificial raspberry extract or similar, you’re better off just using the freeze dried raspberries and leaving it at that. 

Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients: 

250g unsalted butter, softened or margarine (I use Proactiv Buttery)

200g brown sugar

100g white sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 drop natural raspberry extract (optional)

3 egg yolks

325g plain flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

25g whole freeze dried raspberries, plus extra for decoration

180g white chocolate, chopped

Method: 

Beat the butter or margarine and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until combined. Add the vanilla extract and raspberry extract if using, then add the egg yolks mixing until combined. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and the baking soda, then add to the butter mixture and mix on a low speed until almost combined. Then add the whole freeze dried raspberries and chopped white chocolate and mix until combined. The freeze dried raspberries will crush up as they are being mixed so there is no need to crush them up before. 

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, cover and refrigerate for at least 30-40 minutes (the dough can also be shaped into two logs, covered with plastic wrap or baking paper and frozen to bake at a later date at this point too). 

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and line 3-4 trays with baking paper. Once the dough has been in the fridge for 30-40 minutes, scoop out heaped tablespoons of the mixture and place on the prepared baking trays leaving room for the biscuits to spread as they cook. Sprinkle the tops of each biscuit a little crushed freeze dried raspberry (save some for the end as well, as the raspberries will loose their colour when baked). 

Bake for about 18 minutes, rotating the trays halfway so the biscuits cook evenly. The biscuits will be golden once done.

Allow to cool on their trays. Whilst the biscuits are still warm, sprinkle over some more crushed freeze dried raspberries. 

Store in an airtight container, will keep for about 1 week.

Makes about 40 biscuits.

Reference: ‘The Violet Bakery Cookbook’ by Claire Ptak (Ten Speed Press, 2015), pp.140-1.

Pistachio Raspberry & Rose Cake

Pistachio, raspberry and rose are three flavours that are made for each other in my opinion. They go so well together and the colours of each look so pretty and appealing too.

I used fresh raspberries for this cake, however if you are using frozen, only take them out of the freezer just before you want to use them so they don’t bleed into the cake batter too much. 

You can buy freeze dried raspberries from a few places now - I have bought them online from Fresh As (a New Zealand company), and Bakedown Cakery often sells them in their St Leonards store as well. I have also bought them from About Life in the past too. Alternatively, freeze dried strawberries are a little easier to come by, so they would be a good alternative to use. Otherwise dried edible rose petals would be a good option for the decoration. 

Also - how gorgeous are the white peonies in these photos?! Every year when peonies are in season I can’t help but buy some. I think they are some of the most beautiful flowers, and I have found if you buy them before the flower has opened you can get a good week or more out of them. Which is great, as they aren’t exactly the cheapest of flowers to buy! But their beauty is certainly worth it, particularly if like me, you don’t buy flowers all that often.

Happy Baking! xoxo

Pistachio Raspberry & Rose Cake

Ingredients: 

175g margarine or softened unsalted butter

175g light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp rosewater

125g + 1 tbsp pistachios

175g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

250g fresh raspberries

Ingredients for the Icing:

200g icing sugar, confectioners

1.5-2 tbsp rosewater

1 tsp freeze dried raspberries, lightly crushed

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and grease and line a 22-23cm springform cake tin.

Using a food processor, grind the all pistachios into a fine crumb/meal (the same consistency as almond meal). Don’t over process or you may end up with pistachio nut butter, rather than pistachio meal. Remove 1 tbsp of the ground pistachios and set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer add the margarine and sugar. Beat using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs separately, beating well after each. Add the rosewater and the ground pistachios and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder, then gently fold into the main cake batter. 

Transfer the cake batter into the tin and smooth the top. Push each raspberry into the top of the cake so that cake is evenly covered with raspberries. Smooth the top if possible. 

Bake for about 50 minutes or until the cake is springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake. 

Leave the cake to cool before removing from the tin. 

Once the cake has cooled make the icing by whisking the icing sugar and 1 tbsp of the rosewater together. Gradually add more rosewater if the mixture is to dry, and more icing sugar if the icing is too runny. Ice the cake with the icing, then sprinkle over the 1 tbsp of crushed pistachios and the freeze dried raspberries to decorate. 

Pistachio Raspberry & Rose Cake

Reference: The Violet Bakery Cookbook’ by Claire Ptak (Ten Speed Press, 2015), p.137.

Pistachio Raspberry & Rose Cake with White Peonies

For more recipes showcasing the best of rose, check out my eBook Baking with Rose by clicking the link below!