Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Centers

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer with paddle attachment
• •Small cookie scoop (for filling)
• •Large cookie scoop or 2-tablespoon measure (for dough)
• •Parchment paper
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the cream cheese filling

   Beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until completely smooth, scraping the bowl twice to eliminate lumps. Line a small baking sheet with parchment. Drop 24 rounded teaspoons of filling onto the parchment, spacing them apart. They'll look messy. That's fine. Freeze until solid, at least one hour. These can be made days ahead and stored frozen in a sealed container.

   A small cookie scoop makes quick work of portioning and produces uniform centers.
2. 2

   Prepare dry ingredients

   Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Dutch-process cocoa gives the deepest chocolate flavor here, though natural cocoa works if that's what you have. The difference is subtle when red food coloring dominates the visual.

3. 3

   Cream butter and sugars

   Beat softened butter with both sugars in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Start on low to prevent a sugar cloud, then increase to medium-high. Beat for three full minutes until the mixture looks fluffy and pale, scraping the bowl halfway through. This aeration is what makes your cookies tender rather than dense.

4. 4

   Add wet ingredients

   Add the egg and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl. Add vanilla and red food coloring, beating until the color distributes evenly. The batter will look alarmingly crimson. That's exactly right. In a small measuring cup, stir together buttermilk and vinegar. This combination reacts with the baking soda for lift.

5. 5

   Build the dough

   Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low just until streaks remain. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and beat briefly. Add remaining flour and mix until a soft, sticky dough forms. Do not overmix. The dough should be uniformly red with no flour pockets visible. It will be softer than typical cookie dough.

   If your dough seems too soft to handle, refrigerate for 30 minutes before portioning.
6. 6

   Stuff the cookies

   Scoop roughly two tablespoons of dough and flatten it in your palm. Place one frozen cream cheese ball in the center. Wrap the dough around the filling, pinching seams closed and rolling gently between your palms to form a smooth ball. The filling should be completely encased. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

7. 7

   Chill the dough balls

   Refrigerate assembled cookies for at least 30 minutes, or freeze for 15 minutes. This firms the butter and helps cookies hold their shape during baking. Cold dough spreads less, keeping those cream cheese centers properly centered. The cookies can be frozen at this point for up to two months.

8. 8

   Bake to perfection

   Heat your oven to 350°F. Arrange chilled dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving three inches between each. They spread. Bake 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The edges should look set and slightly crackled while centers appear soft and almost underdone. They firm as they cool. Trust the process.

   If baking from frozen, add 2-3 minutes to the baking time. No need to thaw first.
9. 9

   Cool properly

   Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for five minutes. The cream cheese centers need this time to set slightly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, or serve warm when the centers are still molten. Both approaches have their merits. I prefer them slightly warm, when the cream cheese has the texture of very soft frosting.

Chef Tips

• •Gel food coloring produces deeper crimson than liquid. Use about half the amount if substituting gel for the liquid called for here.
• •Room temperature ingredients matter tremendously in cookie baking. Cold buttermilk or eggs can cause the batter to break, resulting in greasy, flat cookies.
• •For the crinkliest tops, don't flatten the dough balls before baking. The natural cracks that form as rounded dough spreads are part of red velvet's visual appeal.
• •These pair beautifully with cold milk or strong coffee. The dairy cuts through the sweetness and amplifies the tangy cream cheese.

Advance Preparation

• •Cream cheese filling can be frozen up to 2 weeks ahead. Keep frozen until ready to use.
• •Assembled unbaked cookies freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. Freeze on a sheet until solid, then transfer to freezer bags. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the time.
• •Baked cookies keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 4 days. Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature or warm briefly in a low oven before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 40g)