Description
Celebrate the festive season with Merry Grinchmas Cookies, delightful soft cookies featuring a vibrant green hue and a sweet gummy heart center. These cookies combine creamy butter and cream cheese for richness, with a crackled powdered sugar exterior and a pop of color from green food coloring. Perfect for holiday gatherings, they’re easy to make and sure to brighten up any cookie platter.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp green food coloring
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
Coating and Decoration
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 24 gummy hearts
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, beat together softened butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract, green food coloring, and the egg; mix well until fully combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening and seasoning.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the butter and cream cheese mixture. Mix just until combined to avoid overworking the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the dough is firm enough to shape.
- Shape and Coat Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Use a medium cookie scoop or a tablespoon to portion out dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball thoroughly in powdered sugar ensuring all sides are coated.
- Bake Cookies: Arrange the coated dough balls on ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the tops develop cracks and edges are set.
- Add Gummy Hearts and Cool: Immediately upon removal from the oven, press one gummy heart into the center of each cookie, gently flattening them slightly. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature for easier mixing and better texture.
- Refrigerating the dough is important for shaping and helps prevent spreading during baking.
- You can substitute the gummy hearts with other festive candies if preferred.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 103 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 48 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
