Red Velvet Cookies

Soft, chewy, sweet. A little chocolatey, definitely red: these cookies are going to become your new favorites. This recipe is originally from the wonderful website, Sally's Baking Addiction. She uses regular chocolate chips, but I like the flavor of the white chocolate chips and the characteristic contrast between the deep red and bright white colors. The dough does have to chill for at least an hour, but you could make the dough ahead of time and leave it ready–to–bake in the fridge for up to three days. As I often do, you could even scoop it, freeze it, and bake from frozen whenever you want (this method might require an extra minute in the oven.)

Yield: 24 cookies (1.5 tablespoon scoop)

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon (200g) all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup (21g) natural cocoa powder (not Dutch–process)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• Pinch kosher salt

• 1 stick (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar

• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon buttermilk or milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Red food color, to taste

• 1 cup (180g) white chocolate chips + more for presentation

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, making sure to get out any lumps in the cocoa.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar for a few minutes until lightened.

4. Add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and food color to taste. Beat well.

5. Dump in the dry ingredients, and mix on low until they are almost completely combined.

6. Add the white chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.

7. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before scooping and baking. Preheat the oven to 350°.

8. Scoop 1.5 tablespoon cookies, and bake two batches one at a time for 11-12 minutes. When the cookies come out, immediately press 2-5 white chocolate chips on the top of the cookies --- to make them look extra special. After 5 minutes of cooling on the sheet, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.