01 -
Warm up your oven to 350ºF (177ªC). Next, lay a piece of parchment paper or a silicone liner on a big baking tray.
02 -
Grab a medium bowl and whisk together your flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until everything combines well.
03 -
With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter along with the sugar until fluffy and light. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Now, mix in the egg, and scrape the bowl down when needed.
04 -
Add your vanilla extract and food coloring. Mix it at a medium setting and then scrape around with a spatula to make sure the color spreads evenly. Blend it again until it’s fully combined.
05 -
Set your mixer to low speed and slowly incorporate dry ingredients into the wet ones. Soon, you’ll notice crumbly dough forming. Use your clean hands to press it together into a dough ball.
06 -
Scoop the dough using a medium-sized cookie scoop, roll it into smooth balls, and then gently press them down. Bake cookies for about 10-11 minutes, just until the edges look set and puffed up. Cool them on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
07 -
Beat your softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, followed by vanilla and salt. Keep beating for 2 minutes until the frosting is super smooth.
08 -
Let the cookies cool down completely before spreading the frosting on top with a small spatula. Sprinkle decorations on the frosting right before it hardens.