Red Velvet Thumbprints

By lisapearce

Ingredients

• 1 1
• cup butter, softened
• 1 1
• cup sugar
• 2 1/2 2 1/2
• cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 3 3
• tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1/4 1/4
• teaspoon salt
• 4 4
• teaspoons red food color
• 1 1
• teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1
• bag (11 oz) white vanilla baking chips (about 2 cups)

Preparation

Step 1

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
2 In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed about 2 minutes or until creamy. Stir in egg, food coloring and vanilla until well blended. On low speed, beat in flour, cocoa and salt until blended.
3 Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Press thumb into center of each cookie to make indentation, but do not press all the way to the cookie sheet.
4 Bake 12 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; quickly remake indentations with end of wooden spoon, if necessary. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 10 minutes.
5 In small microwavable bowl, microwave white baking chips uncovered on High 30 to 50 seconds, stirring once, until softened and chips can be stirred smooth. Spoon melted chips into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Twist bag above melted chips. Squeeze bag to fill each thumbprint cookie. Let stand until set.