Description
Delight in these Easy Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies featuring a tender, cocoa-infused dough filled with a luscious strawberry buttercream center and topped with a smooth, bittersweet chocolate coating. Perfectly baked to achieve a soft, chewy texture that melts in your mouth, these cookies balance rich chocolate with a fruity surprise, making them an irresistible treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (preferably Kerrygold), softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature (about 70°F)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups cake flour (King Arthur recommended)
- 3/4 cup sifted cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
For the Filling:
- 8 tbsp butter, softened
- 4 tbsp strawberry powder (from crushed freeze-dried berries)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
For the Topping:
- 1 cup Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup cream
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients and Filling: Sift cocoa powder to remove lumps. Combine sifted cocoa, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, beat 8 tablespoons softened butter until creamy. Mix in strawberry powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and powdered sugar until smooth. Portion the filling into 1 tablespoon scoops on parchment paper and freeze for at least 15 minutes.
- Make Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter with packed brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then mix in oil and vanilla extract until fully combined. Gently fold in the dry ingredient mixture until just combined, careful not to overmix.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes to prevent spreading and ensure even baking. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Assemble Cookies: Remove chilled dough and frozen filling. Scoop about 3 tablespoons dough, flatten slightly, place one frozen strawberry filling in the center, then wrap dough around it, rolling into a ball. Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake at 350°F for 11-12 minutes until set but soft in the center. Avoid overbaking as cookies continue to firm while cooling.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Chocolate Coating: Heat chocolate chips and cream in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and pourable.
- Coat Cookies: Spoon about 2 teaspoons of warm chocolate onto each cookie top, spreading gently with a spoon or spatula. Refrigerate or set at room temperature until chocolate hardens, about 15-20 minutes at room temperature or 5-10 minutes in the fridge.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs to ensure smooth incorporation into the butter mixture.
- Freezing the strawberry filling prior to assembling helps maintain its shape inside the cookie.
- Chilling the cookie dough prevents excessive spreading during baking.
- Be careful not to overbake; cookies may look slightly soft in the center when removed but will firm up as they cool.
- Melting chocolate gently in intervals prevents it from seizing or burning.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for longer freshness.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chocolate cookies, strawberry buttercream, chocolate covered cookies, cocoa cookies, filled cookies, easy cookie recipe
