Freeze dried strawberries give the dough a fun pink color that would be great for a valentines day cookie. The pink color comes from the freeze dried strawberry powder. Fresh strawberries are also great to use. You won't have the same pink dough, but fresh strawberries can sometimes be easier to find. But freeze dried strawberries and fresh strawberries give the strawberries and cream cookies a unique real strawberry taste unlike other cake mix strawberry cookies.