Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line two baking trays with parchment paper. The paper should feel smooth and crisp under your fingers—no grease needed here.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt until the mixture looks pale and uniform, with no lumps of powder visible.

In a large bowl using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy, and you can see it turn a pale yellow colour.

Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat on low until fully combined. The batter should smell sweet and look smooth, with no streaks of egg remaining.

Gradually add the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the double cream. Mix on low after each addition until just combined—stop when you see a soft, thick dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Fold in the crushed freeze-dried strawberries and the diced fresh strawberries using a spatula. The dough will turn a light pink hue, and you’ll see specks of red throughout. Handle gently to avoid crushing the fresh fruit.

Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough (about 30g each) onto the prepared baking trays, spacing them 5cm apart. The dough will feel slightly sticky but should hold its shape—if it’s too sticky, chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are just set and lightly golden, while the centres still look soft and slightly puffed. The kitchen will smell like toasted butter and strawberries.

Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes—they’ll firm up as they sit—then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Once completely cool, dust generously with icing sugar using a fine sieve for a snowy, elegant finish.