Description
Pink Velvet Cookies are soft and tender cookies with a delicate cocoa flavor and vibrant pink color from red food coloring. Perfectly balanced with a light crumb and optional cream cheese frosting for extra indulgence, these cookies offer a delightful twist on traditional velvet treats, ideal for parties or festive occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp red food coloring
Optional
- Cream cheese frosting for topping
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure cookies bake evenly and don’t stick.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute all dry components.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together using a mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, which incorporates air for lighter cookies.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time into the creamed butter and sugar, blending each thoroughly before adding the next. Then incorporate the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Add Food Coloring: Stir in the red food coloring gradually until your desired vibrant pink shade is reached, ensuring the color is well distributed throughout the batter.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing gently until just combined to avoid overworking the dough and toughening the cookies.
- Scoop and Bake: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the cookie edges are set but the centers remain soft, which ensures a chewy texture.
- Cool and Frost: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet or wire rack before optionally topping with cream cheese frosting for added richness.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened, not melted, for best creaming results.
- Room temperature eggs help in easier mixing and better texture.
- You can adjust the amount of red food coloring to achieve your preferred shade.
- Do not overmix dough after adding dry ingredients to keep cookies tender.
- Baking time may vary slightly depending on oven; watch cookies carefully at the end.
- Cream cheese frosting adds moisture and tang; refrigerate frosted cookies.
