Red Velvet Shortbread

One of the best things about attending the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) trade show is getting to see friends...and new products.  Susan Balfour of Katy Sue Designs has been a friend and over the last few years, she has been designing molds for use in baking and clay.  She's given several molds to form fondant in and place on cupcakes, but this year she expanded to some mat molds.

I loved these entwined sweet hearts, which she gifted to me to try with my baking...and I did. I used my favorite shortbread recipe and keep in mine a cookie that has no leavening is what you'd want to use.

Red Velvet is certainly a "Southern" thing--Adams Extract, a Texas company, is credited with bringing red velvet cake to American kitchens.  I've created lots of recipes with Red Velvet, so why not shortbread.

Red Velvet Shortbread
1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar (icing sugar) + extra for dusting the mold
1 T Red Velvet flavoring or red food coloring
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 T Dutch-processed Cocoa
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour (plain flour)

Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter thoroughly.  Add the confectioners' sugar and cream again.  Add the Red Velvet flavoring (or food coloring) and vanilla and mix again.

Add the flour and cocoa and mix just until combined.  Form the dough into two disks and roll out between parchment paper.

Roll out to 3/8-inch thick between the parchment.  Remove the top sheet of parchment, dust the mold with additional confectioners' sugar, tap to remove the excess, and place on the dough.  Using your rolling pin to impress the image.

 
I used a 3-inch square cookie cutter to cut the dough, then transferred it to the baking sheet.  I also, used a skewer to add some "air holes" to ensure thorough baking.

I also scored a diagonal line across the cookie because I wanted the end result to be triangles. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, these Red Velvet cookies and a sweet card are sure to impress your loved ones.  Enjoy!

One of my new lines--CountryScapes!