Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy and smooth.

Add the egg, vanilla extract, and red food coloring. Mix until everything is well combined and the dough is a bright red color.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix!

Roll the dough into small balls (about 1 inch in diameter) and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them out to allow room for spreading.

Make an indentation in the center of each ball with your thumb, creating a small well to hold the cream cheese filling.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set and just slightly firm to the touch.

While the cookies are baking, prepare the cream cheese filling by beating the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, fill each thumbprint with the cream cheese mixture and dust with sugar before serving.