Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined and creamy.
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
Add egg and vanilla extract; mix until combined. Set aside.
1 large egg, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture into the wet and mix until well combined. Add food coloring. Mix well.
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup Dutch processed dark cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 ½ tablespoon red food coloring
Using a medium cookie scoop, 2 tablespoons in volume, drop balls of dough 3 inches apart on a prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack for cooling. Cool completely before glazing.
Glaze
In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
1 ounce cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar
Add vanilla extract and milk; mix until well combined.
½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon milk
Scoop glaze into plastic bag, snip off the corner and glaze the cookies. Allow the glazed cookies to sit undisturbed for 30 minutes to allow glaze to set.
Notes
Expert Tips
Make sure butter is room temperature and not softened in the microwave. If the butter is too soft the cookies can over spread.
Use Dutch processed dark chocolate cocoa powder. If unavailable regular unsweeteened cocoa powder may be used.
If you want to substitute gel food coloring add an extra one tablespoon of milk to the batter along with the gel coloring.
How to storeStore in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.How to freezeAllow the cookies to fully cool and freezing them before glazing. Place them in an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. Glaze before serving.