Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies – Recipe Girl

These Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies are thin and crisp. They’re half dipped into white chocolate. You could also edge them with chopped pistachios or festive sprinkles if you wish to have the red/green look.

I love these super festive red velvet shortbread cookies, and they are perfect for the holidays. Just like classic shortbread, these are not overly sweet. They call for using a teaspoon of red velvet emulsion (check Amazon), and that helps give them the red velvet flavor. They’ll be so pretty on your holiday cookie platters!

🛒 Ingredients needed:

• all purpose flour
• granulated white sugar
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• salt
• salted butter
• red food coloring
• red velvet emulsion
• white chocolate
• shortening
• festive sprinkles or chopped pistachios (optional)

✏️ How to make Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies:

*The complete, printable recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Cover and process with on/off turns until combined. Add the butter, red food coloring and emulsion. Process with on/off turns until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Then continue to process until the mixture begins to clump together.
2. Scoop the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until nearly smooth. Roll or pat dough to a ½ inch thickness. Using a floured 1½ inch round cutter, cut out the dough. Place the cutouts 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press the scraps together, re-roll and cut more cookies.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the centers are set. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the white chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate. If desired, sprinkle with festive sprinkles, nonpareils or chopped pistachios. Let stand on waxed paper until set.

➡️ Tips and Substitutions:

• I make the dough using a food processor, which is easiest because it takes a bit of processing to allow the crumbs to clump together and become the proper consistency for rolling. If you’d like to try the hand-mixing method: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter, food coloring and emulsion until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together (it will take a while for the dough to come together). Form mixture into a ball, kneading until smooth.
• I use gel paste food coloring to color my cookies (instead of the liquid food coloring). It’s more concentrated, and you can add more of it to get a deeper color without adding liquid to the mixture. Don’t overdo it though, or you’ll end up with red stained fingers as you eat your cookies!
• Don’t skip the red velvet emulsion. It can easily be ordered on Amazon, or you can probably find it in a baking supply store. It really adds just the right amount of red velvet flavor to the cookie.

✔️ How to Store Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies:

Place the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Best Red Velvet Dessert Recipes: