{recipe} red velvet chocolate chip cookies

I love the holidays. Every year I get so pumped up for Halloween and Thanksgiving to roll around. Pumpkins, cider, and cinnamon brooms... oh my! I love football season and chili in the crock pot. I love the colors of autumn and the crisp smell of the seasons changing in the air. But man... do I love Christmas. I am the one person in my house who still insists on a real Christmas tree. Can't be havin' any of that fake tree nonsense. There is something magical about the time of year when you get to decorate the house, listen to all of your favorite Christmas tunes, and give presents to your loved ones. And there's the dessert, of course. Ohhhh, the dessert.

Hi pretties.

Every year growing up as a kid my mom would ask me what kind of cake I wanted to help her bake for Christmas. RED VELVET PLEASE MOM! Then my birthday would roll around and she would ask me what kind of cake I'd like for my party. RED VELVET PLEASE MOM! Yeah.... I was that kid. I remember, at one point, my mom being like.. ummmm can we make something new this year please? But really... why mess with perfection?

I actually had never thought to make red velvet cookies before, until I was out with my boyfriend doing some Christmas shopping this year and saw a package of them sitting at the cash register. He was immediately drawn to them when I picked them up mindlessly to look at. But unless we're talking about Girl Scout Cookies and Oreos, I can't bring myself to buy pre-packaged cookies. I promised him I'd make some. Soooo glad I did! They totally lived up to my red velvet cake memories. :)

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Recipe by Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2.5 teaspoons red food coloring
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus a few extra for after baking)

Directions:

1. Toss the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a handheld of stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Once mixed, add the food coloring and beat until combined. Turn the mixer off and pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed, Beat in more food coloring if you'd like the dough to be redder. One low speed, beat in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky. I added a bit more milk here because it was a little too sticky.
3. Cover the dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. Chilling is mandatory. --- hehe just seeing this for the first time now. I did not chill my dough. My cookies turned out fine.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1.5 Tablespoons of dough and mold into a ball, as pictured above. Bake each batch for 10-12 minutes. Press down on the warm cookies with a fork to flatten and form crinckles. Stick a few chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies.
5. Allow cookies to cool on coookie sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. Enjoy!

I baked these cookies the day of my annual Christmas potluck with my high school girlfriends. I always love getting together with them!

Have you ever tried red velvet cake before?

xx, Jen