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Red Velvet & Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Prep: 15 minutes plus freezing
Bake: 10 minutes • Serves: 26

1.Adjust 2 oven racks to top and bottom positions; preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 rimmed baking pans with parchment paper. In medium bowl, whisk flour and cocoa powder.

2.In large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat 1 cup butter and granulated sugar 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, red food coloring and vanilla extract; beat 1 minute or until incorporated. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture and beat 1 minute or until incorporated, scraping down bowl occasionally.

3.Roll dough into 26 (1-1/2-inch) balls; place 2 inches apart on prepared pans. Press thumb into center of each ball to make indentation, making sure not to press all the way through; freeze 15 minutes.

4.Bake 10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are slightly browned, rotating pans between upper and lower racks halfway through baking. Cool cookies 10 minutes on pans, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

5.In medium bowl, with mixer on medium-low speed, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, green food coloring and remaining 2 tablespoons butter 2 minutes or until incorporated. Transfer cream cheese mixture to small zip-top plastic bag and snip bottom corner with kitchen scissors; pipe into indentations in cookies. Makes 26 cookies.

Approximate nutritional values per serving (1 cookie):
182 Calories, 11g Fat, 7g Saturated Fat, 36mg Cholesterol, 19mg Sodium,
20g Carbohydrates, 1g Fiber, 11g Sugars, 10g Added Sugars, 2g Protein

Chef Tip:
If indentations in cookies rise too much during baking, gently press back down with back of measuring teaspoon while cookies are still warm.