Red Velvet Sugar Cookies (with a chocolate heart center)

Red Velvet Sugar Cookies - made January 30, 2020 from Our Table for Seven

It's February so time for some red velvet. It's also the time where you can easily "valentine-ize" almost anything by sticking a Dove chocolate heart on it so here ya go.

This is a play on peanut butter blossoms - you know, those peanut butter cookies rolled in sugar, baked then have a Hershey's kiss pushed into the center. This is the Valentine version with red velvet cookies and a Dove heart center.

I like this better for two reasons: 1) it tastes really, really good. The texture is soft and chewy and hey, red velvet. Plus the hearts are cute. 2) Because it doesn't have peanut butter, it's good for anyone with peanut allergies who couldn't eat a peanut butter blossom.

I made this for a care package going to a deployed military service member so I only took one taste test cookie and vacuumed sealed the rest to go into the box. After I ate the taste test cookie, I'm not gonna lie, I was tempted to hold back another cookie for myself. It was that good. I didn't do it but it was close. Guess I'll have to bake another batch. For another care package, of course. Really.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
dash of salt
1-2 teaspoons red food coloring
coarse sugar, for rolling
Dove chocolate hearts, unwrapped

1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing briefly to incorporate. Add vanilla and red food coloring; mix just until combined.
3. Add in dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing after each addition until just combined. Do not overmix.
4. Portion into small dough balls, cover and refrigerate or freeze for an hour or up to overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place coarse sugar in shallow bowl. Roll dough balls in sugar, coating completely, and evenly space on baking sheets.
6. Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are set and middles no longer look raw. Do not overbake. Immediately press an unwrapped chocolate heart in the center of each cookie. Let cookies sit on baking sheets for 5 minutes then remove to cool completely on a wire rack. Chocolate heart will melt into cookie center but retain its shape. Cool completely to keep chocolate hearts in place.