In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Place the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the egg, mixing on low speed until combined, then beat in the vanilla and red food coloring until well incorporated.
Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line (2) rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Scoop out about 1/2 tablespoon of the dough and roll into balls. Place the dough balls the prepared baking sheet 2" apart.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the cookies appear dry on top.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cookies from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.
Prepare the cream cheese frosting and spread or pipe the frosting onto half of the cookies. Top with the other half of the cookies and enjoy!
Notes
Total time above includes the 30 minutes for chilling the dough, and cooling the cookies.
*I used gel coloring paste for this recipe, which is linked below. I suggest starting with 1 tablespoon of coloring and adding more as desired.
Cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Enjoy!