Fudgy Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

No cake mix, no shortcuts: real cocoa, tangy buttermilk and a splash of vinegar give these cookies true red velvet flavor, while a mandatory dough chill keeps them thick, soft-centered and fudgy. Chopped white chocolate melts into creamy pockets that taste like cream cheese frosting's cool cousin.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (280 g), spooned and leveled
• 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt

• 12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened but still cool
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
• 2 tsp red gel food coloring (not liquid)

• 8 oz white chocolate bar, chopped into rough 1/2-inch chunks
• flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and fine sea salt together in a medium bowl until no cocoa streaks remain. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or a stand mixer with the paddle), beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightened and fluffy but not warm or greasy. Scrape down the bowl.
3. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat on medium for 45 seconds. In a small cup, stir together the buttermilk, vinegar and red gel food coloring until the mixture is a deep, even crimson, then beat it into the butter mixture on low for 20 seconds. The batter may look slightly curdled — that is fine.
4. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low just until a few floury streaks remain, about 20 seconds. Add the white chocolate chunks and fold in by hand with a sturdy spatula until the dough is uniform and no dry pockets are left. Do not overmix.
5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 48 hours. This step is not optional — cold dough spreads less and bakes up thick and fudgy in the center.
6. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350°F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Scoop the cold dough into 18 balls of about 3 tablespoons each (roughly 55 g), rolling them tall rather than flat. Press a few extra white chocolate chunks onto the tops for looks. Arrange 8 per sheet with at least 2 inches between them; keep the second sheet in the fridge while the first bakes.
7. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set and slightly crackled and the centers still look soft, puffed and underdone. Do not wait for the centers to look dry — cocoa cookies hide their browning and dry out fast.
8. Immediately after pulling the sheet, gently tap it on the counter once or twice to settle the cookies into thick, wrinkled rounds. If you want perfect circles, swirl a wide glass or round cookie cutter around each hot cookie. Sprinkle with flaky salt if using.
9. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack for another 10 minutes. Serve slightly warm while the white chocolate is still soft; store airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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