Description
These Red Velvet Cookies are soft, tender, and slightly chewy with a beautiful red hue, rich cocoa flavor, and a delightful surprise of white chocolate peanut butter hearts in the center. Perfectly balanced sweetness and a hint of vanilla make them an irresistible treat for cookie lovers and red velvet fans alike.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
Decoration
- 6 white chocolate peanut butter hearts (like Reese’s)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a bowl, combine the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and red gel food coloring. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is well combined and smooth, ensuring the color is evenly distributed.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Evenly sprinkle the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and fine salt over the wet mixture. Gently fold everything together just until combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Form Cookie Balls: Flatten the dough evenly in the bowl, then divide it roughly in half. Each half will yield three cookies. Roll each portion into a ball using your hands. Lightly roll each dough ball in extra granulated sugar for a slight crunch and sweetness.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the sugared dough balls evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies spread out, begin to crackle on top, and appear dry on their surface.
- Cool and Add Hearts: Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes post-baking, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for about 10 minutes.
- Insert White Chocolate Hearts and Chill: Press one white chocolate peanut butter heart into the center of each cooled cookie. Place the cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the hearts set without melting.
- Serve: Before serving, bring the cookies back to room temperature to enjoy the perfect texture and flavor.
Notes
- Use red gel food coloring instead of liquid to avoid altering the dough consistency.
- Refrigerating after adding the white chocolate hearts helps prevent melting and keeps the shape intact.
- For a more intense cocoa flavor, you can increase the cocoa powder slightly, but do not add extra flour.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
