Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and ensures even baking — the cookies should bake for about 12-14 minutes total. Checkpoint: Your oven is ready when the preheat beep sounds and a thermometer placed inside reads 350°F.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until evenly mixed. Set aside. This dry mixture will create the structure of your cookies. Checkpoint: The mixture should look uniform with no lumps of baking powder visible.

In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup light brown sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. The mixture should look pale, fluffy, and lighter in color than when you started. This is called creaming and creates an airy base. Checkpoint: The butter mixture should be noticeably lighter in color and fluffy when you lift the beaters.

Add 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until everything is fully incorporated and the mixture looks smooth. Checkpoint: No streaks of egg should be visible; the mixture should be uniform in color.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients gradually, folding gently with a rubber spatula about 10-15 times until just combined. Do not overmix — some small flour streaks are okay at this stage. Overmixing develops gluten and makes cookies tough. Checkpoint: The dough should come together without any visible pockets of dry flour, and it should feel soft and slightly sticky.

Prepare 1 cup fresh strawberries by dicing them into small pieces (about 1/4 inch). Pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels — excess moisture will make the dough soggy. Then fold the diced strawberries, 1/4 cup crushed freeze-dried strawberries, and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips gently into the dough using 8-10 folds. Checkpoint: The strawberries should be evenly distributed throughout the dough, and you should see pink flecks and white chocolate pieces in every scoop.

Using a cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon, drop dough onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing each cookie 2 inches apart. Each scoop should be about the size of a walnut. Do not flatten the cookies — let them rise naturally in the oven. Checkpoint: All cookies on a sheet should be roughly the same size for even baking.

Bake for 12-14 minutes at 350°F. The edges should turn light golden brown, while the centers remain slightly soft to the touch. Do not overbake — cookies will continue to firm up as they cool. Start checking at 11 minutes. Checkpoint: The edges are firm and light golden, but the centers still feel slightly soft when you gently press them with a finger.

Remove baking sheets from the oven and let cookies rest on the hot sheet for 5 minutes. They will firm up during this time. Then use a flat spatula to transfer each cookie to a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely for at least 20 minutes before glazing. Checkpoint: Cookies should move freely from the spatula without breaking; if they're still too soft, wait 1-2 more minutes on the sheet.

While cookies cool, prepare the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons strawberry jam, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar until smooth. If desired, add 1-2 drops of pink food coloring for a deeper pink hue. Whisk until no lumps remain and the glaze has a drizzle-able consistency. Checkpoint: The glaze should flow from a spoon in a thin stream but hold its shape briefly before breaking; if too thick, add more milk by the 1/2 teaspoon.

Once cookies are completely cool, drizzle glaze over each cookie using a fork or small spoon, creating thin streaks across the top. Work quickly so glaze doesn't harden. Checkpoint: Glaze should cover most of the cookie surface in thin, decorative lines.

Let glazed cookies rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes until the glaze sets and hardens slightly. The cookies are now ready to serve or store.