Ingredient: red GEL food coloring

Red Velvet Cake’s popularity extends far beyond its namesake it seems. Dessert enthusiasts have adapted the original recipe to craft their own, custom made versions of cupcakes, lattes, sundaes, waffles, cookies, pancakes, ice cream etc.

The precise origins of Red Velvet Cake remain elusive, as several times and places have claimed partial credit for producing it, with the different elements coming together as separate puzzle pieces.

One common legend is that it was first created in the kitchens of New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel. Another story surrounding the cake is that the Canadian department store Eaton’s was responsible for its creation, as it was a popular choice in the retail chain’s bakeries and restaurants in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Although the company promoted the cake by saying the recipe was a closely guarded secret, the cake’s deepest roots appear to be traced more accurately back to the culinary traditions of the USA’s southern states.

The term ‘velvet’ was used in Victorian England to describe cakes with a fine crumb and a soft texture, distinct from other confections such as pound or sponge cakes. In the late 1800’s, what we know as brown sugar was commonly known as ‘red sugar’. So, at that time any cake made with red sugar and fine cake flour could be referred to as a red velvet cake.

Attempts to explain the red cake’s inception include use of boiled beets by bakers affected by rationing during WWII to enhance the color of their cakes. Another possibility is that because natural pigment of cocoa takes on a reddish hue when mixed with acidic substances such as vinegar or buttermilk, both of which may well have been included in early chocolate velvet cakes. Unlike today’s more common Dutch process cocoa, the PH of natural cocoa does cause a chemical reaction with acid causing a very slight reddish hue.

The notoriety of red velvet cake was given a huge boost in the 1930’s when the Adams Extract Company of Gonzales, Texas began marketing its food coloring and flavorings with recipes and photos of red velvet cake. Using food coloring was quicker and better, thus becoming a regular part of the red velvet recipe.

Now it seems when it comes to the white icing, the traditional kind used was a French style roux icing, which is also known as ‘ermine’ icing. These days, however, cream cheese frosting and buttercream frosting are much more popular and synonymous with the red velvet cake.

I’m not a food historian but as you’ve probably noticed, I do love delving into food history. Today’s blog recipe is for some red velvet cookies that are perfect for the Christmas season. Some time ago I saw this idea on the internet. I tucked it away in my ‘must-try’ file …. so today’s the day I’m trying my adapted version.

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Red Velvet Cookies

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Rating: 5
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Course

dessert

Cuisine

American

Keyword

red velvet cookies

Servings

COOKIES MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling

• 112 gm full-fat cream cheese
• 1 3/4 cups (210 gm) powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cookie Dough

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 85 gm unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp red GEL food coloring Amount depends on strength of color & intensity desired
• 1 Tsp white vinegar

Icing

• 50 gm cream cheese,
• 1 1/2 tsp icing sugar OR to taste
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla
• 2 tsp milk

Course dessert Cuisine American Keyword red velvet cookies Servings COOKIES MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Cream Cheese Filling 112 gm full-fat cream cheese 1 3/4 cups (210 gm) powdered sugar 1 Tbsp flour pinch of salt 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract Cookie Dough 1 1/4 cups flour 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 1 tsp cornstarch 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 85 gm unsalted butter, softened 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup sugar 1 large egg 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1-2 tsp red GEL food coloring Amount depends on strength of color & intensity desired 1 Tsp white vinegar Icing 50 gm cream cheese, 1 1/2 tsp icing sugar OR to taste 1/4 tsp pure vanilla 2 tsp milk

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Instructions

Cream Cheese Filling

1. FILLING SHOULD BE MADE AT LEAST 2 HOURS IN ADVANCE OR THE DAY BEFORE.. In a medium bowl and using hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy and light, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. On low speed, gradually add in the powdered sugar, flour, vanilla & salt. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the filling is light and fluffy.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon-size scoop, scoop out 15 rounded tablespoons of cream cheese frosting onto the prepared baking sheet. Freeze until solid, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. You may have a few scoops left over.

Cookies

1. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt to combine; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or whisk, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until well combined.
4. Add in the egg, vanilla & red food coloring; mix on medium speed until mixture is smooth and emulsified with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let the mixture rest for 3 minutes, then mix for another 30 seconds.
5. Repeat the process of resting and mixing 2 more times (a total of 3 rests and 4 mixes) until mixture is thick, smooth, and slightly lightened in color. This step helps dissolve the sugar better, resulting in a thicker, chewier cookie.
6. Stir in the vinegar. The mixture will separate slightly.
7. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
8. If the dough feels too soft or warm to scoop & shape into firm balls, cover and refrigerate for about ½ an hour or until firmer. Using the same scoop you used for the cream cheese balls, scoop out 2 scoops of dough per cookie onto the lined baking sheet, forming 15 equal dough balls.
9. Using the back of a wooden spoon handle or your thumb, make a deep indentation into each dough ball.
10. Take the cream cheese filling scoops out of the freezer and working quickly, peel the filling scoops from the baking sheet and place one inside each indentation of every dough ball. If you're working in a warm kitchen, you might want to keep the frosting scoops in the freezer, taking only one by one as you work, to prevent them from softening.
11. Gather the dough up over the filling scoops to completely cover them. Roll the dough into smooth balls, making sure the frosting is completely wrapped inside and nothing is peaking out.
12. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, then either bake immediately or transfer to a large zipper lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month.
13. Preheat oven to 350 F. Adjust oven rack to middle position.
14. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide cookie balls between the 2 sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
15. Bake until the cookies flatten with a slight dome, and the outer edges start to set yet centers are soft and puffy, 10 to 11 minutes. The centers will feel undone, but they shouldn't be shiny or sticky. DO NOT OVERBAKE or you'll get hard cookies. The cookies will continue to bake after they come out of the oven from the residual heat of the baking sheet.
16. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before serving. They taste best at room temperature when the cream cheese filling is no longer warm. If you'd like to decorate them with the cream cheese icing, make sure that they've cooled down completely before doing so.

Decorate

1. In a small bowl, beat together icing ingredients until smooth. Place in a small zip-lock bag & cut a tiny tip off one corner. Drizzle over cookies to create a pattern. Allow icing to set.

Recipe Notes

• Brion & I found these cookies were best eaten straight out of the FREEZER! I know it seems strange but they are an extremely soft cookie & never really freeze hard. Cold but soft .... Yum!