Description
These festive Grinch Cookies are soft, buttery, and bursting with holiday cheer. Vibrantly green and decorated with cute Santa hats and mischievous Grinch faces, these cookies are perfect for Christmas celebrations or gifting. Featuring white chocolate chips for a sweet contrast, they are easy to make and sure to delight children and adults alike.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Green food coloring (as needed)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Decoration
- Red candy melts
- White candy melts
- Red sanding sugar
- Black edible marker or melted dark chocolate for details
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure cookies don’t stick and bake evenly.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a smooth base for the dough.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined, which adds moisture and flavor to the dough.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to ensure even distribution of leavening agents.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms, being careful not to over mix.
- Add Green Food Coloring: Add green food coloring a few drops at a time to the dough until it reaches a vibrant Grinch-green color; knead gently to combine the color evenly throughout.
- Stir in White Chocolate Chips: Fold in the white chocolate chips evenly to add sweet bursts in each bite.
- Shape Cookies: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking. Then gently flatten each ball with the palm of your hand to achieve the cookie shape.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers remain soft, ensuring a tender cookie texture.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, preventing breakage.
- Melt Candy Melts: While the cookies cool, melt the red and white candy melts according to package instructions to prepare for decorating the festive Santa hats.
- Decorate with Candy Melts and Sugar: Use the red candy melts to create a small triangular Santa hat shape on one side of each cookie. Add white candy melts for the hat’s fur trim and pom-pom, then sprinkle red sanding sugar for extra sparkle and texture.
- Add Facial Details: After the candy hats have set, use a black edible marker or melted dark chocolate to draw expressive Grinch eyes and mischievous smiles on each cookie, bringing the characters to life.
- Set Decorations: Allow all decorations to harden fully before handling or serving to maintain their shapes and designs.
Notes
- For extra texture, add chopped nuts to the dough or substitute white chocolate chips with green candy-coated chocolate pieces for a festive twist.
- If you prefer softer cookies, reduce the baking time by one or two minutes.
- These cookies make delightful holiday gifts when placed in decorative tins or wrapped individually with festive ribbons.
