Description
Delight in these festive Red Velvet Chocolate Blossom Cookies featuring a tender red velvet cocoa base topped with a melting Dove Chocolate Heart, perfect for holidays or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Hearts
- 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
Topping
- Red sprinkling sugar and/or sprinkles
Instructions
- Freeze Chocolate Hearts: Place the Dove Chocolate Hearts into the freezer for at least an hour to ensure they stay solid and don’t melt too quickly when added to the warm cookies.
- Prepare Oven and Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and 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, forming a smooth dough base.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, milk, red food coloring, and pure vanilla extract until the batter is well combined and uniformly colored.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt to distribute the dry ingredients evenly.
- Incorporate Dry Into Wet: Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until blended to avoid overworking and toughening the cookies.
- Shape and Roll Dough Balls: Using a tablespoon, scoop and form 1-inch dough balls. Roll each ball in red sprinkling sugar or sprinkles to coat, then place them spaced evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers remain soft.
- Add Chocolate Hearts to Cookies: Upon removing the cookies from the oven, immediately press one frozen Dove Chocolate Heart into the center of each cookie allowing it to soften slightly from the residual heat.
- Cool Completely: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool thoroughly, enabling the chocolate centers to set properly and the cookie texture to firm up.
Notes
- Ensure the Dove Chocolate Hearts are thoroughly frozen to prevent premature melting.
- Do not overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added to keep cookies tender.
- Using parchment paper on your baking sheet helps with even baking and easy cleanup.
- Soft centers are key; avoid overbaking to maintain chewy texture.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
