Portable Goodness

I saw these cookies in my googly reader, and I immediately starred them.  I had originally planned to make them for a special occasion (more on that soon), but then I found something better.  I thought this recipe would languish in my “to be made” pile for a long time, but I was wrong.  I ended up making these cookies about a week after I saved the recipe, to send with the Hubster to a birthday party. 

These cookies were a snap to make!  Very simple and quick.  And boy, were they tasty!  They have the flavor and texture of red velvet cake, but in a more portable, easier-to-eat cookie form.  Although I didn’t get to go to the party, the Hubster said that every cookie was gobbled right up. 

I have a few notes about these.  First, I always seem to forget just how much red food coloring you need to make these look like red cookies. I used gel food coloring, because that’s what I keep around.  I don’t think it matters if you use gel or liquid, just know that you will need a lot.  I wanted mine to be brighter, but I think that the cocoa powder hinders that.  So whatever.  Second, I could have used more cream cheese.  The original recipe says to mix it in with the mixer, and only for a second.  I decided that I would have more control if I did it by hand with a spatula, which I did.  But I still feel like I didn’t get the swirls that I wanted.  So, be careful.  I used 4 tablespoons of cream cheese (original recipe calls for 3), and I wanted more when all was said and done. 

I highly recommend these cookies.  And, the original recipe has nutrition stats, saying that they are only 100 calories per cookie!  But, I dare you to eat just one….

Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Swirl
Source: Amy Bites

Makes about 22 small cookies.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
4 tablespoons Neufchatel or reduced fat cream cheese, softened.
Preheat oven to 375ºF..

Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy and well-combined..

Beat in egg and vanilla, then beat in food coloring..

Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder and mix until just combined..

Add cream cheese in pieces to dough and fold in with a rubber spatula briefly until just swirled.

(fp note: I like to chill my cookie dough before baking, so I stuck mine in the fridge, and didn’t turn the oven on to preheat it until after I made the dough.  By the time the oven was ready, the dough was chilled enough for me.).

Portion out by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets..