Red Velvet Cookies from The Domestic Rebel

Levain Bakery-Style Red Velvet Cookies -made dough December 10, 2022 from The Domestic Rebel

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons red liquid food coloring

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cake flour

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat for another 30 seconds, scraping paddle and bottom and sides of bowl. Increase speed to high and continue beating another 30 seconds or until mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl to keep mixture even textured.
2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the red food coloring on low speed until uniformly incorporated. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, cake flour and all purpose flour. Add to butter mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed until just combined. Stir in white chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chips.
4. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 
5. Preheat oven to 410 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Divide dough into 6-ounce portions. Form into thick discs and evenly space on prepared baking sheets, leaving 3 inches between cookies. Keep remaining discs refrigerated and bake one sheet at a time. Bake cookies 8-11 minutes or until edges are set and middles no longer look raw.
7. Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheet for at least 30 minutes before serving.

If you haven't finished up your holiday baking by now and want a last-minute, quick, easy and tasty cookie, nothing says Christmas better than red velvet cookies. Okay, lots of things say Christmas and I listen to all of them but still, this is a great red velvet cookie to make any time of the year. And if you are done with your holiday baking, save this recipe for Valentine's Day.

I did not make (most of) them as big ad they're supposed to be. Mostly because I was going for quantity to make up more care packages and holiday gifts and, for holiday baking gifts, I tend to go small since I make several varieties and, as my culinary school classmate, Chris, liked to say about large cookies or big slices of cakes, "that's too much commitment".

However, I did make the lone taste test cookie larger than the rest of the cookie dough balls from this batch because when it comes to taste test cookies, I don't have commitment issues. I wanted to see if these would bake up thick.

The answer is yes and no. They didn't bake as thick as the ones shown on Domestic Rebel's blog as I still seem plagued by is-it-the-butter-making-my-cookies-spread issue but they still baked to a decent thickness, thanks to baking directly from frozen dough and mounding the dough ball taller than wider. Whatever works. It worked well in this cookie as this had a soft, chewy texture and good flavor. You'll notice it's a bit plain in that it isn't overloaded with white chocolate chips but that was a conscious decision on my part for the taste test cookie. If you're a white chocolate fan, tuck the chips inside the cookie dough ball and, as soon as they come out of the oven, press white chocolate chunks or chips (chunks are better) gently into the tops of the cookies. This way you get the plethora of white chocolate without them burning during baking if they're exposed on top.