Serves
14
cookies

Intro

Red velvet as a cookie is such a good idea — that soft, cocoa-tinged crumb and the gentle tang, but handheld and ready in an afternoon. The white chocolate is doing what cream cheese frosting does on the cake: a sweet, mellow counterpoint to the cocoa. A little caramel or fudge chip alongside is optional but very good.

At a glance

  • Makes: 14 cookies(base for the scaler)
  • Prep: 15 min ·Chill: 30 min ·Bake: 11 min
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Pillar: The Bake → Quick Bakes
  • Themes (dietary): contains gluten, dairy, egg · nut-free

Ingredients

  • 115g unsalted butter, softened
  • 150g light brown soft sugar
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 1 medium egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp red gel food colour(gel, not liquid) adjust to the depth of red you like
  • 220g plain flour
  • 20g cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ¼ tsp fine salt
  • 150g white chocolate chips (+ optional 50g caramel/fudge pieces)

Method

  1. Cream the butter and sugars for 1–2 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla and red gel colour until evenly coloured.
  2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt, then fold in untilalmost combined.
  3. Fold through the white chocolate (and caramel, if using).
  4. Scoop 14 balls (~55g each), chill 30 minutes.
  5. Heat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4 / 350°F. Bake, well spaced, 10–12 minutes until set at the edges but soft in the middle.
  6. Cool on the tray 10 minutes.

Allergens & swaps

  • Contains: wheat/gluten, milk, egg.Nut-free as written — a good one for the nut-free theme page.
  • Natural colour: for less food colouring, a beetroot powder gives a softer, earthier red.

Baker’s notes

Gel colour, not liquid — liquid throws the moisture off. Don’t overbake; red velvet should stay soft.