Red Velvet Kiss Cookies
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Bite into this decadent red velvet cookie rolled in shimmering sugar then top it all off with a Hershey’s Kiss for a fun twist on the classic blossom cookie.
I think everyone is familiar with the classic peanut butter blossom cookie. It’s a round peanut butter cookie, rolled in sugar, and topped off with a Hershey’s Kiss.
As you might remember I am not a fan of peanut butter but I love the look of peanut butter blossoms. I’ve made a few versions of these cookies in the past.
I’ve made the original Peanut Butter Blossoms. Christmas I made these tasty White Christmas Kiss Cookies with peppermint kisses. While not exactly the same, these Easter Egg Surprise Cookies with mini Cadbury eggs in the middle are fun as well.
I wanted to make something similar for Valentine’s Day but I didn’t want to use peanut butter. I thought a red velvet flavored cookie would be a fun idea.
What Flavor is Red Velvet?
Red velvet is often described as a chocolate cake but in actuality it is a combination of a chocolate and vanilla cake. The cocoa powder in the cake adds a hint of chocolate flavor, while the buttermilk and vinegar add a slight tanginess.
I found a recipe for homemade red velvet cookies, rolled in colored sugar, with a Hershey Kiss in the middle. Not only did these sound delicious but they looked really pretty too!
What makes Red Velvet red?
When red velvet first came out the red color was a chemical reaction between the vinegar, buttermilk, and cocoa powder. Today the red color most often comes from red food coloring or dye.
While the original recipe rolled the cookies in red sparkling sugar, I decided to combine red sugar and gold sugar and the results were gorgeous. To make it even better the gold sugar was a finishing sugar that was flavored like salted caramel to give the cookies a hint of extra flavor.
Ingredients:
- salted butter (or unsalted if you prefer)
- brown sugar (brown sugar gives these cookies a bit of extra flavor but you could use granulated sugar instead)
- vanilla extract
- egg
- red food coloring (gel food coloring like AmeriColor gel works best and you don’t have to use very much)
- all purpose flour
- cocoa powder (I used regular but Dutch process cocoa powder would be good too)
- baking powder
- sanding sugar (either just red or red and gold together)
- Hershey’s Kisses
To make the cookies preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the red food coloring and mix until combined.
Add in the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder and mix until the cookie dough forms. Roll the cookies into 1 inch balls, roll into the sanding sugar and place on the baking sheet 2 inches apart. Use the bottom of a glass and flatten slightly.
Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and place a Hershey’s kiss in the center of the cookie.
The cookies ended up being really pretty. I love how the sanding sugar sparkled on the cookie and the combination of red and gold worked so well.
What can I use in place of sanding sugar?
If you don’t have sanding sugar regular colored sprinkles would work. If you don’t have either of these you can simply roll the cookies in granulated sugar. Rolling them in green sugar would be great around Christmas time or rolling them in blue sugar and adding a Hershey’s hug instead of a kiss would be great for patriotic holidays.
These cookies tasted fantastic. The were firm and buttery with hints of cocoa. The Hershey’s kiss added a rich chocolate flavor.
Red Velvet Kiss Cookies would be great to give as a gift, to serve at a party, or just to enjoy around Valentine’s Day. Kids can help out by rolling the dough, dipping the dough in the sugar, and placing the Hershey’s kisses.
How do you store these cookies?
Store the cookies in an air tight container for up to 1 week. Cookies can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in an air tight container.
Red Velvet Kiss Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- red food coloring
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup red sanding sugar
- 18 Hershey’s Kisses
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar.
- Add in the egg, vanilla, and a few drops of red food coloring. Mix well.
- Add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Using a tablespoon roll the dough into 18 equal sized balls.
- Roll each ball into the sanding sugar and place on the cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
- Use the base of a glass press the dough balls down slightly.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center.
- Allow the cookie to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
