Red Velvet Sugar Cookies
Soft red velvet sugar cookies cut into heart shapes and frosted with royal icing.
Ingredients
| 1 cup | 240 ml | unsalted butter (2 sticks) |
| 4 ounces | 115 g | cream cheese (half a brick) |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | granulated sugar |
| 1 | egg yolk, large | |
| 2 teaspoons | 10 ml | vanilla extract |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | red food coloring (liquid) |
| 3 cups | 720 ml | all-purpose flour |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | cornstarch |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | unsweetened cocoa powder |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.5 ml | kosher salt |
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium-low speed until smooth (about 1 minute).
- Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and food coloring and mix on medium speed until combined.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt.
- Mix on medium-low speed until a stiff dough forms (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).
- Roll the dough to 3/16-inch thick (rolling pin rings ensure an even and exact thickness) between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
- Remove the top sheet of parchment, and cut shapes with a 3-inch heart cookie cutter.
- Peel the shapes from the bottom layer of parchment, and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until set around the edges but still a little soft towards the center.
- Cool completely, then frost with royal icing.