As it turns out, it wasn’t really red enough (just more cocoa-y), but I did find this recipe for Red Velvet Blossoms that also rolled the cookies in red sugar and I thought they looked neat, so here is one more submission for Chocolate Week. Using Hershey’s Hugs instead of Kisses is also a nice touch to get them to stand out. This is a recipe that I’ll add to the Valantine’s Day list too!
Ingredients
14 tablespoons butter
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder, (use regular, not the extra dark cocoa)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups brown sugar (packed)
1 large egg plus one egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup red sanding sugar*
1 12-ounce bag Hershey’s Hugs or Kisses, for topping (you will need about 40-48)
Note: I used cocoa rouge — a red / rust colored cocoa powder. If your dough isn’t red enough for you, you can use red food coloring to amp it up.
Directions
Heat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat. unwrap your Hershey’s Hugs or Kisses and place bowl in the freezer.
In a large bowl, melt 10 tablespoons of the butter in the microwave. Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in to 6-8 pieces, add to the melted butter and stir (this helps to cool down the melted butter so it won’t be too hot later when the eggs are added). Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Add the brown sugar, vanilla, red food coloring (if using) and salt to the melted butter. Stir well to combine. Add the egg and egg yolk and stir until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir with a wooden (or sturdy) spoon just until combined and flour is incorporated. Add mini chocolate chips and mix just until incorporated.
Put red sanding sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll the dough into balls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons for each cookie. Roll the balls in the sanding sugar until well coated and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they have puffed and have cracks running through the top, about 12-14 minutes. Be careful not to over bake the cookies or they will be dry. As soon as the cookies emerge from the oven place a Hershey’s hug in the center of each cookie. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
