Fruity Meltaways
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus 2 hours’ chilling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:60 to 70 cookies
- 12tablespoons/170 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½cup/62 grams confectioners’ sugar
- ¼teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 1tablespoon lemon juice
- 2teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3tablespoons/20 grams finely ground freeze-dried fruit, such as cherries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches or mangoes
- 1¾cups/224 grams all-purpose flour
- ¾cup/93 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 3tablespoons/20 grams finely ground freeze-dried fruit
For the Cookies
For the Coating
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (65 servings)
41 calories; 2 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 8 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a stiff spatula, mix butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt, lemon juice and vanilla until creamy and combined. Add ground freeze-dried fruit and mix until distributed. Add flour, and mix until it all comes together into a soft dough.
- Step 2
Divide the dough into two (250-gram) portions. On pieces of parchment paper, wax paper or plastic wrap, roll each portion of dough into a 10-inch-long log. Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator or up to 3 months tightly wrapped in the freezer.
- Step 3
Set oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven, and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper.
- Step 4
Using a sharp knife, trim about ⅛-inch off each side of the chilled dough logs, just so that you have flat ends. Slice the logs into scant ¼-inch-thick cookies. Roll the log a quarter turn after each slice to keep it round. (If the dough cracks while slicing, let it warm up at room temperature for 10 minutes.) Arrange on sheet trays ½-inch apart and bake, rotating the trays once during baking, until set and barely golden underneath, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Step 5
While the cookies bake, make the sugar coating: Sift together the powdered sugar with the ground freeze-dried fruit. While still warm, gently toss the cookies in the powdered sugar mixture and return to the sheet tray to fully cool. The cookies will keep for 2 weeks stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Kathleen
Freeze dried fruit is a dried fruit, no sugar added, and has a lighter, crunchy, completely dry texture…not chewy and moist like raisins or dried apricots. Not always easy to find in grocery stores but I’ve had luck at Trader Joe’s for a good price. Great to flavor frostings without adding moisture or sugar!
Jayaymeye
These are delicious. But I don't know how the yield is 60-70 cookies. The logs and slices would have to be TINY! I got around 20, though I did make a larger log.
Jenny
When I saw the picture of this it made my mouth actually water. Can't wait. This will taste good after a wrap with fried chicken, sriracha , lettuce, and the lemon chutney from Indian instant pot cookbook by Pitre. Love NYT Cooking, it's a great place to take a break from you know what.
Kait
Absolutely delicious! I used freeze dried raspberries (can be found at Trader Joe’s) and these turned out so well. I am going to make these instead of our usual snowball/bullet cookies for our cookie boxes this year. They have the same texture but with a fruity/tart twist that is a nice spin on a traditional cookie.
Shannon
These were amazing! Such a nice light crumb and the fruit flavor is strong, but not overwhelming. I blended freeze dried strawberries, blueberries and raspberries (heaviest on the raspberry) and they are to die for. So cute and tiny and WAY too easy to pop in your mouth! This one's a keeper. I froze one log for closer to Christmas and got exactly 35 out of one log, so the yield was spot on for me.
Shannon
Target is also a great source as well - lots of unique fruit flavors.
Lindsey
I used freeze dried raspberries which were great, but after blending them into a powder I should have put the powder through a sifter to get the seeds out. Still good, but probably better sans seeds.
Ewer
Freeze dried fruit is neither frozen fruit or typical dried fruit like dates or raisins - it's the type of dried fruit that is extremely light in weight (no moisture at all) and melts in your mouth.
Laura
Is freeze-dried the same as dehydrated?
L. Devine in California
Yes. I’ve gotten them at Trader Joe’s, they have several different fruits. I made these today with raspberries, and they were delicious. Definitely not the usual Christmas cookie!
DF
Freeze-dried fruit is available on Amazon in many flavors. Pulverizing the dried fruit (and sifting out any seeds) yields a beautiful, flavorful powder that is sensational in cookies, frosting, cakes, or even just sprinkled on toast!
Ripal
Which fruit was used in the pictured cookies?
mary ann
I made this recipe exactly as specified (using freeze-dried strawberries) and got 72 gorgeous and delicious little cookies as a reward for my efforts! It's an easy recipe with two exceptions: grinding up the fruit (my blender worked way better than my food processor or mortar/pestle); and "tossing" the cookies (I just used my fingers to "dip" each cookie's top and bottom into the powdered-sugar/powdered-fruit mixture). I'm definitely going to be making this one again, maybe with blueberries!
Sonya
I used raspberry powder on hand from Kitchen Alchemy that I used for macarons. It was lovely here. Let the cookies cool slightly before tossing in the sugar or it will melt into a delicious, sticky mess.
Ingrid
These were alright. I made them with freeze dried blueberries. They were definitely a cool way to use freeze dried fruit and kind of an interesting cookie to put in a mixed box, but not mind blowing. Maybe try something a bit punchier than blueberry if you're going to make these. Sohla has way better recipes than this one!
Belinda
Made these while babysitting! We rolled them out and used cookies cutters, and they perfectly withstood all the manhandling a very young child could throw at the dough. Just chilled again for 10 min before we put them in the oven and they came out tender and delicious.
Marissa
I made this with freeze dried mango. They were good, but I would double the amount and perhaps add some lime zest. Good solid recipe - would like to try with other fruits that have a more assertive flavor
Gayle
I made these for Christmas, in addition to the (humble brag here) fourteen other kinds I always make. They were the star of the cookie platter! Simple dough, easy to slice and bake. I did save some raspberry/powdered sugar mixture to give them another coating before plating. Winner of a recipe!
MBR
These were so bright and flavorful! I made them with freeze dried strawberries for my daughter's daycare holiday party. However, I don't think they were the most popular item in the lineup because they looked hilariously like slices of sausage link. In order to get 70 cookies from one batch they were the exact diameter of a typical sausage. They could have easily won a prize in a contest where they looked like one food but tasted so incredibly strongly like another. But still yummy!
Melissa
Fabulous recipe. I used the mixed berry pack from TJs, no salt for dietary reasons and the cookies were loved by all. Delicate and delicious.
Melissa
I made them with freeze-dried raspberries, which I found at Target. I ground them in a coffee blade grinder dedicated to spices (wiping it out before and after the raspberries) and sifted them through a strainer to remove the seeds. The sifting goes faster if you stir with a spoon. The cookies are tart, sweet, and delicious.
Cori S
This is a delicious recipe. Used mixed berries and gave it great color and flavor. Sugar costing tasty, but not necessary. Will try with rose extract next time for additional depth of flavor.
Julie
So delicious. I agree with Halina - before the dusting, my raspberry cookies looked like sliced salami lol. I really enjoy the sweet-tart flavor, definitely adds a new flavor to a holiday cookie platter. Next time I would try with a different color fruit!
Halina
These were nice- kind of shortbread/teacake. I prefer the nuttier flavor of Russian tea cakes, but overall a fun twist. Might pick a mildly sweeter freeze dried fruit than strawberries next time. Was thankful for dusting (added a few fine colored sugar sprinkles) bc otw the cookies looked like large sliced Vienna sausage going in and out of the oven….
Bunny
You can find dehydrated strawberries at Aldi's any time of year. Got two bags and will try this recipe this weekend.
Ariah M
This is my second year making these cookies! I use freeze dried cranberry and apple and the texture on these is to die for. I use the brand Super Garden ordered on Amazon and they have a lot of interesting options for freeze dried fruit. This recipe is so easy and adaptable, thank you Sohla!!!
ali t
Success on first try (for me, that means it was easy). Made mine with freeze-dried raspberries. Nice change from all the chocolate, nuts, and butter for the holidays and really bright, fun color. Great addition to my holiday cookie lineup, but don't have to be limited to the winter holidays. I'll make these any day of the year. Looking forward to trying them with blueberries!
Cristina
These are pretty addictive. They’re kind of like a grown up version of sweet tart candies. I made them a little small, which made them fun to eat. I used a combination of strawberry and raspberry powder. As others have said, it’s a good idea to strain out the raspberry seeds.
Anne
These cookies are gross. Dried-raspberry flavored butter cookies taste very strange. And the bright red fruit powder bakes up to odd-looking muddy pink cookies. Once you dust them with the sugar/fruit powder mixture, the cookies look... interesting. Bright Barbie pink, which I guess is adorable? But the dusting mixture tastes weird and dries out your mouth. It's like eating fluoride-flavored desiccant.
Brady
made last minute for a cookie swap using Karen's Naturals Just Strawberry. I ground them with my wand blender which was a little messy but no big deal. They were easy and unique so I think they worth trying. Flavor was intensely sweet and tangy. Not my favorite nor the kids' for that matter.
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