Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the two sugars until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, and add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, and beat together until combined.

3. Add the food coloring into the creamed mixture, and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl once more, and add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer to low, and mix until the cookie dough is just combined. (Over-mixing can make the cookies tough and give them a strange texture.) A very soft dough will be formed. Mix in 1/2 cup of the white chocolate chips and mix just until combined.

4. Cover the dough and chill for 1 hour and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory. (You can also scoop the dough before chilling; see note.)

5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

6. Scoop the cookies out onto the parchment paper using a large ice cream scoop (see note) spacing them at least a couple inches apart. Gently press the cookies down using the palm of your hand (you can wear a glove to keep everything clean). Using the remaining 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, gently press 4 or 5 into the tops of each cookie.

7. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, until they have spread out and look puffy. Remove from oven. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes:
1. I like to weigh my flour and sugar because it saves time and gives a very accurate reading. If you bake a lot and want to have your flour and sugar properly measured, I highly recommend buying one.
2. Let the egg come to room temperature by setting it out with your butter for at least an hour, or place the egg in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes.
3. I like to scoop my dough before I chill it because I’ve found that chilled dough can be really hard to scoop. This dough was a little sticky to scoop out, but wearing gloves really helps.
4. I like using large ice cream scoops when baking cookies because they bake up really big like bakery cookies. I just bought a cheap one at the grocery store for $4 or $5.
5. Slightly adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.