Description
Indulgent red velvet cookies with cream cheese frosting bring classic Southern charm to classic dessert expectations. Home bakers can savor rich chocolate notes and silky cream cheese elegance in one perfect sweet treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226 g / 8 oz) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (220 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp red food coloring
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (57 g / 4 tbsps) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Creaming Station: Whip butter and sugars until achieving a cloud-like, homogeneous texture with zero granular remnants.
- Liquid Integration: Blend eggs individually, then infuse vanilla and crimson food coloring, creating a vibrant, cohesive foundation.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, forming a harmonious powder mixture.
- Dough Preparation: Delicately incorporate dry components into wet ingredients, stirring minimally to preserve cookie’s tender structure.
- Thermal Configuration: Calibrate oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper for optimal non-stick performance.
- Cookie Formation: Sculpt uniform dough mounds, positioning them strategically with adequate spacing to prevent merging during baking.
- Baking Choreography: Roast cookies for 10-12 minutes, monitoring for set perimeters and slightly yielding centers, indicating ideal doneness.
- Cooling Protocol: Rest cookies momentarily on baking sheets, then transfer to wire rack for complete temperature equilibration.
- Frosting Alchemy: Whisk cream cheese and butter until achieving a silky, lump-free consistency.
- Frosting Refinement: Gradually fold powdered sugar and vanilla extract, crafting a luxurious, velvety cream.
- Final Assembly: Once cookies reach ambient temperature, generously layer cream cheese frosting between cookies, transforming them into decadent sandwich delicacies.
Notes
- Master Butter Creaming: Whip butter and sugars until ultra-fluffy and zero sugar crystals remain, which ensures smooth, tender cookie texture.
- Control Food Coloring: Add red food coloring gradually to achieve vibrant crimson without compromising liquid balance in the dough.
- Prevent Overmixing: Fold dry ingredients gently and minimally to maintain soft, delicate cookie structure and avoid dense, tough results.
- Temperature Management: Let cookies cool completely before frosting to prevent cream cheese spread from melting and losing structural integrity.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 373
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 243 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 64 mg