I realized recently while pinning some Christmas stuff in May (yes, I am sick) that I have a huge board chock full of Christmas recipes, many that I make, but few that I have taken the time to photograph and blog and share with you.

Oddly enough, November and December are the two months of the year I bake and eat the most, but blog the least.   It’s my favorite season and I’m always just so busy.  Plus, we get like 4 hours of natural daylight during those months in Seattle, and when we do, it’s still gray and dark, which makes photos hard.

I got the bright idea to start trying out some of these holiday recipes in the summer months, writing up the posts, taking the pictures, and publishing them during the holidays.  Genius, yes?

Enter these Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies.  Much like the usual Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, these are buttery and chocolately, but these have been spiced up with some milk chocolate chips and lots of red.  Add the snowy looking powdered sugar, and you’ve definitely got a delicious and festive Christmas cookie! So tasty and easy as well.

These will definitely be making it into my neighbor’s Christmas cookie tins this year.

Enjoy.

Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder*
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp milk or buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 5 tsp red food coloring
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs 1 at a time, blending until combined after each addition. Mix in milk, vanilla, lemon juice and red food coloring. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or until firm enough to shape into balls.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour powdered sugar into a bowl. Remove dough from refrigerator, scoop dough out and with buttered hands, shape into medium balls (about 2 1/2 Tbsp each). Roll cookie dough balls into powdered sugar and evenly coat. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets and flatten slightly, then bake in preheated oven 13 – 14 minutes. Allow to rest on cookie sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
• *If you want them a little more chocolatey you can replace 2 – 3 Tbsp of the flour with 2 – 3 additional Tbsp of cocoa powder.