Red Velvet Crinkles Cookies

Originally from: http://cakewhiz.com/red-velvet-crinkle-cookies-recipe/

Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp buttermilk
• 2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Red gel coloring
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 cup granulated sugar (for rolling cookie dough balls)
• 1 cup powdered sugar (for rolling cookie dough balls)

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and granulated sugar until mixture is light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice or vinegar, vanilla extract and red gel coloring and mix until smooth.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
4. Dump the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix!
5. Chill the dough for 2 hours or overnight.
6. Scoop out small portions of the dough and make small balls. Roll them in granulated sugar first and then roll them in powdered sugar. Place them on a cookie tray, lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are firm around the edges.
8. And you are done! Enjoy!

Notes

-  Tips:

• The powdered sugar on crinkle cookie have a tendency to get absorbed in the cookies after a few hours. One way to PREVENT this is by rolling the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar and then rolling them in powdered sugar and then baking them.
• You must use buttermilk in this recipe. Do not use regular milk! Buttermilk adds moisture and richness in these cookies.
• You will need to add A LOT of red food coloring to give these cookies their bright color. I like to use gel coloring since they are more concentrated but you can use liquid food coloring too. You will have to add 4-5 tsp of liquid food coloring though! If you don’t use enough food coloring, your cookies will  have a weird brown color.
• You must CHILL this cookie dough! That makes the dough firm and easier to handle. It also prevents cookies from spreading while baking and the cookies will hold their round puffy shape.
• DO NOT replace butter with oil! The consistency of the dough will change and so will the flavor.
• You can add some white chocolate chips into the batter and make red velvet crinkle cookies with white chocolate chips. They are unbelievably delicious!
• You can also make red velvet crinkle cookies with cream cheese filling, using the best cream cheese frosting ever.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

- When the cookies cool down completely, store in an airtight cookie jar for up to 3 days.
- To make white chocolate red velvet crinkle cookies, stir in ¾ cup to 1 cup white chocolate chips in the batter.

Hot Mama Notes: These cookies are very good.  My family and friends enjoyed them.  I felt like they could have been more red, but I used a TON of red gel food coloring.  I can't imagine putting any more in!  These cookies won me "Best Looking" at the annual cookie exchange! :D  I would make these cookies again, but they weren't necessarily to die for.  Not the best cookie I have ever made, but they are definitely tasty and festive looking.

I did not have any buttermilk, so I used a scant tablespoon of whole milk topped off with white vinegar.

Hot Mama Grade: A-