Description
Delight in these festive Red Velvet Cookies, featuring a tender, cocoa-infused dough flavored with classic red gel food coloring and rolled in homemade red sanding sugar for a sparkling finish. Perfectly soft with a slightly underbaked center, these cookies offer a nostalgic twist on the beloved red velvet flavor in an easy-to-make cookie form.
Ingredients
Scale
For Cookies
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (110 g) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red gel food coloring
- 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted (Dutch-process or Hershey’s Special Dark recommended)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup red sanding sugar for rolling
For Red Sanding Sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated or coarse sugar
- Dollop of red gel food coloring (do not use liquid food coloring)
Instructions
- Prepare the Butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave. Pour it onto a shallow bowl or plate and place in the freezer for 5 to 8 minutes, allowing it to cool but not solidify.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, add the cooled melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and red gel food coloring. Whisk these ingredients together until well combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to ensure even distribution.
- Make the Dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Using a large spatula, gently fold the ingredients until just combined. Avoid over mixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape Cookies: Using a medium cookie scoop, portion approximately 2-ounce dough balls. Roll each ball thoroughly in the prepared red sanding sugar and place on the lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly puffed and appear underbaked. Do not over bake as the cookies will firm up upon cooling.
- Cool and Finish: Remove the cookies from the oven, optionally sprinkle with additional sugar, and let them cool on the baking sheets. The cookies will deflate slightly as they cool.
- Prepare Red Sanding Sugar: Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large plastic bag, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar with a dollop of red gel food coloring. Seal and shake to evenly coat the sugar, massaging it with your hands until uniformly colored.
- Refine Sugar Texture: Sift the colored sugar through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl to remove large clumps. Repeat sifting multiple times until the sugar is uniform in texture.
- Bake Colored Sugar: Spread the sifted red sugar evenly on the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes to set the color, then remove and cool completely for at least 15 minutes before using to roll cookies.
Notes
- Store cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- Cookies may be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in two layers of plastic wrap, then place in a large plastic freezer bag.
- To serve after freezing, defrost cookies at room temperature or warm them in a 300°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes for a freshly baked texture.
- Use gel food coloring rather than liquid to avoid altering the dough consistency.
- Do not over bake the cookies; they should look slightly underbaked when removed from the oven to achieve a soft center.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
