Description
Delight in these festive Red Velvet Blossom Cookies, featuring a soft, cocoa-infused red velvet dough rolled in colorful sprinkles and crowned with a perfectly melted Dove Chocolate Heart in the center. These cookies are a charming and delicious treat, ideal for celebrations or just to satisfy your sweet tooth with a creamy chocolate surprise inside.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate
- 36 Dove Chocolate Hearts (1 package of 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 for rolling
Instructions
- Freeze the Chocolate Hearts: Place the Dove Chocolate Hearts in the freezer for at least one hour to ensure they stay firm and don’t melt too quickly when placed on warm cookies later.
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This step helps create a tender cookie.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, milk, red food coloring, and pure vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth, embedding that vibrant red color and flavor into the dough.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt to evenly distribute the leavening and cocoa.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, beating just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Shape and Coat the Cookies: Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll it into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in red colored sugar or sprinkles to coat evenly for a festive look.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet with spacing between each cookie. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the cookies are set but still soft.
- Add the Chocolate Hearts: Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, press a frozen Dove Chocolate Heart into the center of each cookie. The warmth of the cookie will slightly melt the chocolate, creating a luscious center.
- Cool Completely: Transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool fully, allowing the chocolate to set and cookies to firm up for perfect handling and enjoyment.
Notes
- Dove Chocolate Hearts were chosen for their size and creamy texture, but smaller Hershey’s Chocolate Hearts can also be used if preferred.
- Chilling the dough before rolling may cause sprinkles to not adhere well, so rolling at room temperature is recommended for better coating.
- Freezing the chocolate hearts ensures they don’t melt too quickly when pressed into the freshly baked warm cookies, keeping the signature blossom look intact.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
