I rarely try to make my holiday cookies in red and green colors, but every once in a while I submit to tradition. These cookies are actually a shade of burgundy (how I like my red velvet to be), but you can add extra red food coloring if you want them to be more vibrant.
- 1 1/2 cups (213 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon Red Velvet Bakery Emulsion or red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 ounces (85 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
- 1/4 cup (25 grams) cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners’ sugar
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a large bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup (150 grams) of the granulated sugar, the brown sugar, eggs, egg yolks, canola oil, Red Velvet Bakery Emulsion, vanilla, and salt.
Place the butter and chocolate in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat and melt together, stirring frequently to prevent the chocolate from scorching. Continue cooking until the mixture is smooth. Off the heat, add the cocoa powder to the chocolate and whisk until completely combined, about 45 seconds (the mixture will be thick).
Add the warm chocolate-butter mixture to the egg mixture and whisk together until combined. Add the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to mix gently until combined. Cover the dough and chill the mixture for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon portions (see Note) and roll the dough in the sugar mixture. Place eight cookies on each sheet pan and bake one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake until the edges are set and the cookies are puffed but still soft in the center, 12 to 14 minutes. Move the sheet pans to a wire rack and let the cookies cool to room temperature. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
The dough is very sticky, so using a cookie scoop works best here; I like to drop the dough balls into the powdered sugar and then gently roll them. Once they are covered, they are easy to pick up. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes or so to help it scoop more easily.
