Red Velvet Blossoms
Soft and visually striking red velvet cookies with a melty Hershey’s Kiss in the center, perfect for holidays and gatherings.
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons butter, softened Use unsalted; reduce added salt if using salted.
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature Use pasteurized yolk if concerned about raw egg.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon red gel food coloring Gel keeps dough from getting too wet.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour Spoon and level for accuracy.
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup red sanding sugar For sparkle; substitute colored granulated sugar if needed.
- 18 Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
- Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and red gel food coloring. Mix until evenly colored and combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir gently just until the dough comes together — avoid overmixing.
- Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces and roll each into a ball.
- Pour the red sanding sugar into a shallow bowl and roll each dough ball until coated. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Baking
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookie edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Immediately after removing from the oven, press one unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie and hold it for a second so it sinks slightly.
- Let cookies cool on the sheet until the Kisses set.
Notes
For storage, keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze as detailed in the article. Use gel food coloring for a bold red without adding extra liquid. If needed, avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.