Turn the classic cake flavor into dreamy, crowd-pleasing cookies filled with a decadent cream cheese center. The secret to stuffed success? Roll the cream cheese mixture into balls and freeze until firm to make assembly super easy.
STUFFED RED VELVET COOKIES
Yield: 26-28 servings
Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes
For filling
- 6 ozs. cold cream cheese
- 3 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp. cake flour
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For cookie dough
- 1 and 1/3 cups cake flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder \
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp. red gel food coloring (we used AmeriColor Super Red)
Make filling: In small bowl, using fork or pastry blender, combine cream cheese with confectioners’ sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla until just incorporated. Freeze until firm enough to roll into balls, 10 to 15 minutes. When firm, roll into teaspoon-size balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, at least 1 and ½ hours.
Make cookies: In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars, and vanilla on medium 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Beat in egg and food coloring. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated, scraping bowl as necessary. Refrigerate until slightly firm, 15 to 20 minutes.
When balls are firm and dough is slightly firm but still pliable, form 1-tablespoon balls of red velvet dough. Press deep thumbprint into each dough ball and insert ball of filling; pinch dough around filling to fully enclose it and gently roll with hands to form even sphere. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, at least 10 minutes (or refrigerate in airtight container up to 1 week).
Heat oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, roll cookies: Roll balls in granulated sugar and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating positions of pans halfway through, until firm around edges,12 to 14 minutes. Slide parchment with cookies onto wire rack and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Cookies are best baked and eaten on the same day.
