Red Velvet Cookies

You know me, I'm not the type of person to just find a recipe and bake it.  I'm into creating recipes. My curiosity got the better of me when I stumbled on How Sweet It Is. Jessica is the food lover behind this blog and an admitted sweet fiend and chocoholic.  I couldn't resist her recipe for Red Velvet Cookies.
I read the comments on the recipe and decided that those folks who were having trouble with the recipe might not be doing certain things that long-time cooks take for granted.  It never hurts to review a few principles of baking.
1.  Unless you have a recipe especially created for margarine or spreads, ALWAYS use real stick butter.  Usually cold butter is okay, just dice it into smaller bits to help incorporate it into the sugar.  Do not melt butter unless directed by the recipe...it changes the structure of the butter.
Also, 1/2 cup of butter is really a whole stick.  It is so easy to misconstrue this and think you need only a half a stick.
2.  Make sure you are not measuring your dry ingredients in a liquid (glass) measuring cup.  Use plastic or metal cups for flour, sugar, etc. Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
3.  Most recipes are based on using large eggs.
4.  I have found that brown sugar has changed consistency in the last few years, but always pack brown sugar into the measuring cup.  When you dump it into the bowl it should come out in a lump like a sand castle.
5.  Check that your oven is really heating to the temperature that you are setting it to.  You can buy an oven thermometer almost anywhere...WalMart to fancy kitchen shops.

Finally...time for those delicious cookies!

red velvet chocolate chip cookies
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
Beat until creamy, then add:
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla (okay, I added 2 cause I LOVE vanilla)

Beat until smooth.  Then add:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt  (Don't skip the salt.  It is very important to baked goods)
1/3 cup baking cocoa powder
 (This is a lot of cocoa for this much flour as it pertains to Red Velvet, but I went with it. I think you could cut it back to 1/4 cup for a little less chocolate version...oh, what am I saying...I love chocolate!)

Jessica's recipe calls for
1 teaspoon red food coloring
Some of the comments said they cookies weren't red enough, so I went with :
1 tablespoon red food coloring, which is more in line with the ratio of color to flour in the cake recipe.
BEWARE:  Don some disposable gloves before handling red food coloring.  Don't turn on the mixer too fast or you with have red dots all over your counter. Keep the gloves on while rinsing out your mixing bowl and utensils.
Add:
1/2 cup chocolate chips ( I used mini chips.)

Form the dough into 14 balls and place on two parchment lined cookie sheets.

Flatten.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Cool on cookie sheet for three minutes.  Remove and continue cooling or stuff one of the hot ones right in your mouth.

You can easily double this recipe and/or bake them as smaller cookies.  (Probably 8 minutes.)

I know, it would have been perfect if I had one of the girls in a red velvet dress, but alas, I have to make do with this lovely satin gown with matching purse.  Mary Ann will wear this to the Valentine's Day Ball if she doesn't get stuck at the office.  It is tax time and she is swamped. With her work schedule and his ranching, she and Ken hardly see each other. Maybe this year will bring the baby they are both hoping for.