Description
Delight in the festive spirit with these vibrant Grinch Cookies, featuring a soft cake mix base tinted green and crowned with charming candy heart sprinkles. Soft, chewy, and wonderfully sweet, these cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations or any time you want a playful treat with a colorful twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- GEL green food coloring (to desired shade)
Coating
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Topping
- Candy heart sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the white cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-low speed until everything is fully combined and smooth.
- Add Food Coloring: Gradually add green gel food coloring a little at a time, blending until you achieve your desired shade of green for the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 20 minutes, which helps the dough firm up for easier shaping.
- Preheat Oven: Once chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Mix Sugar Coating: In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch, then set aside for coating the cookies.
- Scoop and Shape Dough: Using a tablespoon measure (about 1.5 tablespoons), scoop cookie dough balls approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. Roll each ball in your hands to create smooth spheres.
- Coat Cookies: Roll each dough ball in the powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture, ensuring an even coating, then place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Flatten Cookies: Using your hand, a glass, or the bottom of a spatula, gently flatten each dough ball to form a cookie shape.
- Add Topping: Press a candy heart sprinkle into the center of each cookie with gentle pressure to adhere it.
- Repeat Process: Continue shaping, coating, flattening, and topping all remaining dough balls.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges at the bottom start to turn a light golden color and the tops are dry to the touch.
- Cool: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies sit for 3 minutes on the sheet. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for best texture.
Notes
- For best results, use room temperature eggs to help the dough mix evenly.
- Adjust the amount of green food coloring to reach your preferred shade—gel food coloring creates vibrant color without thinning the dough.
- Chilling the dough is crucial to prevent spreading during baking.
- You can substitute candy hearts with any small holiday-themed sprinkles if preferred.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
