Valentine’s Day is a special holiday where love is in the air. No matter the special occasion, these cookies will rock your world. Red velvet cookies are perfection; they take away any problems and are great for anyone with a sweet tooth. Whether you have a date on Valentine’s Day or not, these cookies are stupendous. The crunchy outside and chewy inside of these cookies are out of this world. Chunks of white chocolate make these cookies sweet and help balance out the chocolate from the rest of the cookie. These cookies are a great way to impress your family or a special someone!  

INGREDIENTS 

• ½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature 
• ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons red food coloring, preferably gel 
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 

• 1 ½ cups/195 grams all-purpose flour 
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 
• ½ teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk or whole milk 

• 4 ounces/115 grams white chocolate, coarsely chopped into chunks (3/4 cup) 

PREPARATION 

1. Move racks to the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated, about 1 minute more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
3. Add 1 tablespoon red food coloring (and up to 1 1/2 tablespoons for really red cookies) and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
4. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Add to the mixer and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the buttermilk (or milk) and mix on low speed to combine, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
5. Add about 3/4 of the white chocolate and mix on low speed to combine. Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches between each piece. Use your palm to flatten the balls slightly. 
6. Press the remaining white chocolate chunks into the surface of each piece of dough. Bake for 12 minutes, until the cookies appear set on the outside and puffed in the center, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Cool completely on the baking sheet. 

(Recipe courtesy https://cooking.nytimes.com/)