• In the stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat butter, sugar, cream cheese and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda, and set aside.
• Add the egg, vanilla extract, buttermilk and red food colouring, then mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
• Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be sticky.
• Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for up to 3 days. If chilling for more than 2 hours, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before rolling and baking.
• Preheat oven to 170 °C
• Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to soften for 10 minutes,
• Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This will prevent the cookies from sticking and make clean-up easier.
• Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion out the dough. For uniform cookies, weigh each portion—I used 50 grams per cookie. Place dough on a baking tray leaving 2 inches between cookies.
• Place the baking tray in the pre-heated oven and bake for 10 - 12 minutes.
• Remove the baking tray from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes. This helps them set up and makes them easier to transfer. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat butter until light. With the mixer on low speed slowly add icing sugar and beat until well combined. Mix in vanilla extract and salt. Add cream cheese, whipping, or double cream and melted chocolate and beat until fluffy.
• Cover and store in the fridge. It can be kept for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

Assemble the Cookies

• Fit a piping bag with a piping tip. I used a Wilton Star Tip 1M. Fill the piping bag with cream cheese buttercream.
• Hold the piping bag over the cookie and slowly pipe a spiral starting in the centre and working your way out.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.