Description
These Red Velvet Chocolate Blossom Cookies combine a soft, rich red velvet dough with a touch of cocoa and a melted Dove Chocolate Heart center for an irresistible treat. Rolled in festive red sugar or sprinkles, these cookies offer a perfect balance of moist texture and chocolatey flavor, ideal for holidays or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Centers
- 36 Dove Chocolate Hearts (1 package, 8.87 ounces)
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Coating
- Red sprinkling sugar and/or sprinkles
Instructions
- Freeze Chocolate Hearts: Place the Dove Chocolate Hearts into the freezer for at least an hour to prevent them from melting quickly when added to the warm cookies.
- Prepare Oven and Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, ensuring a smooth base for the dough.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, milk, red food coloring, and vanilla extract until the mixture is fully combined and consistent in color.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and flavors.
- Incorporate Dry Into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough and toughening the cookies.
- Shape and Roll Dough Balls: Scoop the dough using a tablespoon and roll into 1-inch balls. Coat each dough ball thoroughly in red sprinkling sugar or sprinkles, then place them spaced apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers remain soft and slightly underbaked.
- Add Chocolate Hearts: Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately press one frozen Dove Chocolate Heart into the center of each cookie, allowing the chocolate to melt slightly into the warm dough.
- Cool Completely: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool fully, enabling the chocolate to set and the cookies to firm up properly.
Notes
- Freezing the chocolate hearts beforehand is essential to prevent the chocolate from melting too quickly during baking.
- Do not overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added to keep the cookies tender.
- Use parchment paper on the baking sheet for easy cookie removal and cleanup.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness for up to 3-4 days.
