Valentine’s Treats for Your Sweet

Two posts in one day, can you believe it? I’m such a giver; I know. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here’s a super simple and delicious recipe for Red Velvet Cookies — yes, you read that correctly: Red. Velvet. Cookies.

I first tried these during an office cookie swap, but I modified them a bit because cookies are always better with frosting! I serve them for the holidays and birthdays, and now I have another excuse to make them.

In less than 30 minutes, you can make a batch of these for your Valentine (even if your Valentine is Jim Beam — only God can judge me).

Red Velvet Cookies

Original recipe at Duncan Hines

MAKES: 24–30 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 can Pillsbury Creamy Supreme® Cream Cheese frosting
• 1 piping bag or gallon-size resealable plastic bag
• Colored sprinkles (optional)

Seriously — that’s all it takes to create a little piece of heaven.

 DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Combine one (1) box of Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix, two (2) eggs and one-third (1/3) cup vegetable oil using a hand blender or wire whisk.
3. Form teaspoon-size balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or baking pan about one inch (1″) apart. Slightly pat down the top of each ball.
4. Cook for 8–10 minutes (the top of the cookie will crack).
5. While cookies cool (about 10 minutes), prepare a piping bag* with frosting.
6. Pipe swirls of frosting onto cooled cookies. Top with sprinkles (as desired), and store in an airtight container.

Soldiers lined up for battle.

Baked and almost ready for mah belly.

NOTES

• Don’t purchase what the cake mix calls for on its box — you only need the above ingredients. Using less oil and mixing without water gives it a cookie-dough texture.
• *You can make your own piping bag using a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Turn bag inside out, and form it over your hand. Scoop frosting by the handful and seal bag. Snip a small opening off the corner for piping.

Lefties are all right!

These are guaranteed to be a new favorite treat for Jim (or Jack or Johnnie or Jose).

BOOM. Baking, son.