Cream Cheese Red Velvet Cookies

This recipe is from the website Sally’s Baking Addiction. These cookies were very good and pretty when I made them last year, but they were also a huge pain to make. I think if I made them again I would make them smaller.

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder- 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1 Tablespoon red food coloring

• Cream Cheese Filling:
• 4 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, room temperature- 1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make the cookie dough: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Beat the butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract and beat until combined, about 1 minute. On low speed, slowly mix in the dry ingredients. Beat in the food coloring. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 1/2 hours and up to 2-3 days. (continued) Meanwhile, make the cream cheese filling: Beat the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, flour, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Drop teaspoonfuls onto a lined baking sheet that will fit in your freezer. Freeze for at least 1 1/2 hours and up to 2-3 days.

Preheat oven to 350. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Assemble the cookies: Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3-4 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to make it easier to scoop and roll. Roll cookie dough, 1 tablespoon each, into balls. Using your thumb, make an indent into one cookie dough ball. Remove cream cheese balls from the refrigerator. Place one inside the indentation. Cover the cream cheese ball with another cookie dough ball and mold the two dough balls around the cream cheese, making sure it is completely covered and snug inside. Repeat with remaining cookie dough and cream cheese.

Roll each stuffed cookie dough ball in remaining granulated sugar and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until edges appear set. Centers will look soft. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. Makes 18 cookies.