Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies - made dough January 29, 2014 from Sally's Baking Addiction

It's February, the month of schmaltzy hearts, the Hallmark holiday known as Valentine's Day, and pink and red everywhere. It's also the month of not needing an excuse to make anything red velvet because tis the season for edible red food. I saw these cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction and like a moth to a flame, I was irresistibly drawn to making them. Chocolate chip cookies and red velvet? Let me reach for the butter.

Cookies before baking

And speaking of schmaltzy hearts, that's what I tried to make out of these cookies. The picture above is how I shaped them with the help of a heart-shaped cookie cutter as I partitioned out the cookie dough. I froze them that way in the hopes that when baked, they wouldn't spread and would retain their shape. As you can see from the picture below, those hopes were dashed 5 minutes into the oven. Instead of heart-shaped cookies, I ended up with oddly shaped cookies that no one would mistake for hearts. Oh well, the best-laid plans...

Cookies after baking

Total upside though is regardless of how they looked, these cookies were delicious. They were like regular chocolate chip cookies but better because they were red velvet that actually had chocolate flavor to them. I added the white chocolate chips on my own since I like the color contrast in the cookie but you can also stick to just semisweet (or milk) chocolate chips. Oh and I discovered Sally's Baking Addiction, a blog which I've gotten several good recipes from, is publishing a cookbook to be released on March 1. Although I've forsworn buying new books, especially new baking books for awhile, don't think I didn't put this on my wish list for those days when I weaken my resolve and am jonesing for a new book.

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon (198 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (32 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 grams) light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons red food coloring
1 cup (180 grams) semisweet chocolate chips plus extra for after baking

1. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a stand mixer with the 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. 
3. 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 more red. On low speed, beat in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky.
4. Cover the dough and chill for at least 1 hour (I recommend making them into 1.5 tablespoon-sized dough balls first then chilling).
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Space dough balls evenly on baking sheet and bake for 10-11 minutes. If desired, press a few chocolate chips on top of each warm cookie.
6. Cool cookies for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.