White chocolate and raspberry cookies

• Room temperature softened butter: Allows for better creaming with sugar, creating tiny air pockets in the dough that help the cookies rise and spread evenly. Cold butter would not blend as smoothly, and melted butter would result in a greasy texture. 
• Frozen raspberries: These are ideal because they hold their shape better during mixing and baking. If you were to use fresh raspberries, they could break apart and release excess moisture, which might result in a soggier dough.
• Folding in dry ingredients: Folding the dry ingredients into the wet mixture gently (using a spatula or spoon) ensures you don’t overwork the dough. Over-mixing can cause the cookies to become dense and tough, as it develops the gluten in the flour. Folding helps maintain a light texture, especially for cookies where you want a soft, chewy bite.
• Baking until centre is just soft: When you remove cookies from the oven while the centres are still soft, they continue to cook on the baking tray from residual heat. This gives them a chewy, soft texture in the middle, with crisp edges. If you bake until they’re fully firm in the centre, the cookies could become too crunchy throughout.
• Resting on the baking tray before transferring to wire rack: Allowing cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking tray gives them time to firm up before they are moved. If you try to transfer them too soon, they may break apart, especially if they’re soft in the centre. The wire rack allows air to flow completely underneath, preventing the base becoming soggy.

• For a slightly nuttier flavour, use an equal amount of almond flavouring instead of vanilla. Be careful to not use too much as the flavour can be overpowering.
• A simple substitute of vegetable oil instead of butter, though it can affect texture, making the cookies a little more tender than butter would.
• You can substitute part of the sugar with maple syrup for a more natural sweetener. Adjust the flour to compensate for added liquid.
• Other tart berries such as cranberries, blueberries and blackberries can be use with or instead of raspberries.

Store your cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh. This helps prevent them from drying out or absorbing any moisture in the air. If you’re stacking the cookies, you can layer them with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.

• Storing at room temperature: Your cookies will stay fresh for about 4-5 days. Ensure the container is sealed tightly and keep them in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight or heat sources.
• Freezing baked cookies: Place the cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking tray and freeze them for 1–2 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or a freezer-safe zip-top bag. They can last up to 3 months in the freezer.
• Freezing cookie dough: If you want to bake fresh cookies later, you can freeze the cookie dough. Scoop the dough into balls and freeze them on a tray for 1–2 hours. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a zip-top bag or airtight container. You can bake them straight from the freezer; just add a minute or two to the baking time.

The fridge can cause cookies to become hard and dry. Cold temperatures can alter the structure of the fats (like butter), making the cookies lose their softness and become overly firm. They may also become chewy or crumbly, especially if they’re made with ingredients like chocolate and fruit.

To refresh cookies that have become slightly soft or stale:

• Microwave: Microwave cookies for 10-15 seconds to warm them up and soften them. Be careful not to overheat, as it could make them chewy.