Cake and Punishment Red Velvet Crunchies

 

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 tablespoon whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon red food coloring, liquid or gel (might might need more, depending on how red you want your cookies)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus 1/2 cup for after baking to stick on top for decorations

Directions:

****Wait to preheat the oven because the dough has to be chilled for one hour-oven temp will be set at 350 degrees****

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Use a mixer to beat the butter on high speed until creamy. Beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined and creamy. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Once mixed, add the food coloring and beat until combined. 

Turn mixer off to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed. Add more food coloring if you'd like the dough to be brighter red, which I do. I eyeball this. On low speed, beat in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky. 

Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. It has to be chilled.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Put parchment paper on two baking sheets and set aside so they are ready for you to place dough on once you've rolled it into balls.

Scoop up 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball.

Place nine balls on each baking sheet. Bake each batch for 10 - 11 minutes. The cookies may only spread slightly because the center will be nice and moist. If you want to press down the warm cookie, you can, and it will make crinkles on top. 

Keep the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Recipe is from Cake and Punishment by Marymee Bell aka Tonya Kappes

A Southern Cake Baker Mystery series, #1. Cozy style mystery.

Sophia Cummings is temporarily back home in Rumford, Kentucky. She’s a pastry chef by profession and has agreed to make the wedding cake a high school friend. She has permission to use the kitchen at the Rumford Country Club where unfortunately, Chef Emile is discovered murdered. There is a new cast iron skillet near the body and Sophia knows that any southern chef would have only seasoned skillets. Sophia shares this knowledge with Sheriff Carter and the club manager and continues to follow clues helping to find who killed the peppery Chef.

Note: I haven't made cookies in ages. Price of butter and eggs plus the fact everyone has a carb phobia. This recipe has been sitting in my drafts and finally made it. It was the end of school year and I always make something for the school bus driver who picks up kids in our community. Putting up with those kids she needs more then cookies!