Red Velvet Kris Krinkle Kookies

 These cookies are perfect for the Christmas Holiday.  They are so festive with the red and white colors.  They will look glorious in your cookie tins for gift giving.  Enjoy this magical month with the smell  of home baked goods filling your home.  I love the smells of the Christmas Season.  

My fondest memories are of my Mama baking and cooking during the holidays.  I remember standing by her at the stove top eager to learn and taste.  It was the happiest time for me, and I love doing the same for my daughter, Athena.  So put on the holiday music, pour yourself a wonderful glass of wine, and take out the pots and pans.  I love dancing, drinking, laughing and cooking at the stove with my family!  I have a super, small kitchen, but some how everyone congregates there.  It is a wonderful time and it makes me completely happy!

Red Velvet Kris Krinkle Kookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies 

2 cookie sheets lined with parchment

preheat oven to 350 degrees                                                                 

Wet ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs (room temperature)
4 Tablespoons milk (room temperature)plus one teaspoon white vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. liquid red food coloring

Dry Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened Hershey's cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Place in a bowl and set aside:

1 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat in milk plus vinegar, vanilla and red food coloring. 
3. Sift together all dry ingredients except for confectioner's sugar.  Add to butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. The dough should be very soft and a little sticky. Cover and chill in the fridge for an hour, this will make it easier to form into balls. 
4. I dip my fingers in powder sugar that I have placed in bowl and take a golf size ball of dough into my hands and roll into a round ball.  Roll cookie dough into powder sugar and cover very well.  The better it is covered with powder sugar the more prominent the crinkles will show.
5. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet and flatten slightly with fingers, place about 3 inches apart.  These cookies will expand, so make sure they have room on cookie sheet, I usually do about 6 to 8 cookies per sheet. 
6. Bake until cookies are puffy and cracked on top about 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on the pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Cookies will be soft and delicious!

These cookies would look spectacular in a white tin with a big fat red ribbon!