Cook-it-yourself: Red velvet choco chip cookies

Published February 12, 2022
Photos by the writer
Photos by the writer

Red velvet chocolate chip cookies are super easy to make and so very delicious! They are soft and chewy, with a velvety red colour perfectly contrasted with white chocolate chips.

Just what you need for a special occasion or to make any occasion special! These look so pretty and taste so divine, needing no decoration, frosting or any extra effort before serving. Make it once and you’ll be hooked to its easy recipe and velvety taste!

So let’s get started with the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup plain flour

• 2 tbsps cocoa powder

• 1.5 tbsps cornstarch

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature

• 1/3 cup brown sugar lightly packed

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp red food colouring liquid or as required

• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Method

In a large bowl, sieved together the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract and red food colouring. The amount of colouring depends on the intensity of the colour you are using and how deep red you want the cookies. Adjust accordingly.

With the mixer on low, beat in the dry ingredients mixture to the butter mixture, but don’t overbeat. Stir in the white chocolate chips with a spoon or spatula.

Leave some chocolate chips to add on top later on just before baking. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for three hours, or overnight because the dough is too soft right now and it will melt very quickly on baking and result in very thin cookies. I kept mine overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade. Use parchment paper to line two cookie trays.

Take out the dough from the fridge and leave it for 10-15 minutes but don’t let it become too soft. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form the dough into balls of about two inches wide. Place at a distance on the tray as the cookies will increase to twice their size on baking.

Now put some more chocolate chips on top of the cookies and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until it looks set from the top.

The baking time will vary for different ovens. My first batch took 15 minutes and it was a bit soft, but in a nice way. So for the next one, I decided to keep it a bit longer and it turned out a little hard on the outside, but still soft inside.

Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes and serve while still warm. These cookies can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to three days — but who is going to resist them for so long?

The writer Instagrams @the_experimentalcook

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 12th, 2022

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