Red Velvet Valentine's Day Cookies

Made these for my boyfriend for Valentine's Day while he was gone for the military. They kept and shipped well and were a hit amongst his whole unit. Trial and error went into this recipe and it has become a family favorite.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 301 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons red food coloring
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ¾ cup light sour cream
• 1 (12 ounce) package miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey's® Special Dark®)
• 4 ¼ cups powdered sugar, divided
• 4 (8 ounce) packages Neufchatel cheese, softened

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine brown sugar, butter, and white sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Mix in sour cream, food coloring, and egg.

Step 2

Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, dark cocoa powder, regular cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture until well combined. Place dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a piece of greased and floured parchment paper.

Step 4

Spread remaining 1/2 cup flour on a clean, dry surface and use some to coat a rolling pin. Roll chilled dough to a thickness of approximately 1/4 inch and cut cookies with whatever shape cookie cutter you like. Place 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet.

Step 5

Bake in batches in the preheated oven until cookies bounce back immediately after being touched, about 7 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Step 6

Stir 4 cups powdered sugar, Neufchatel cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy. Fold in chocolate chips. Transfer frosting into a resealable plastic bag.

Step 7

Cut one corner off the plastic bag and pipe frosting onto 1/2 of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar.