These cookies tasted just what I would expect from red velvet. I was disappointed with their texture and appearance, however, leaving them with the most room for improvement of all the cookies I baked for Christmas.

They were incredibly soft (gooey is probably the better term) because they were decidedly under-baked. I tried to bake the cookies during the small window of time that I typically have before I head to the gym. When I took them out of the oven, I knew that they were under-baked, but I hoped that they would continue to cook while cooling on the pan. Nope. Next time, I’ll bake them longer because I think my dough balls were larger than in the original recipe.

The cookies “crinkled”, but the appearance of powdered sugar disappeared. Reading through a few other recipes online, I discovered that rolling the dough in granulated sugar prior to rolling in powdered sugar should solve this problem. Another problem with rolling the dough in sugar is that the dough warmed too much, and the cookies spread. In the future, I’ll return the sugar-covered dough to the refrigerator/freezer to chill prior to baking.

RED VELVET CRINKLE COOKIES
Based on this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 3/4 (344 g) cups all-purpose flour
1/4 (20 g) cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
8 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. red food coloring
1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, then beat until combined.
4. Add the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and food coloring, then beat until combined.
5. Add flour mixture on low speed, mixing until just incorporated and scraping the sides as needed.
6. Scoop 1.5 tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking pan. Cover and refrigerate at least a few hours.
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper/silicone mats.
8. Add powdered sugar to a small bowl, roll dough balls in the powdered sugar, then place on prepared baking sheets.
9. Bake 12-15 minutes (depending on size), or until cookies are puffed and set on top.
10. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.