Grinch Christmas Cookies

These Grinch Christmas cookies combine an easy-to-make cookie with a fun candy filling that will remind everyone of the beloved movie.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword christmas, Grinch, holiday, stained glass, sugar cookie

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Chill 2 10

Total Time 2 32

Servings 3" cookies

Calories 101kcal

Ingredients

1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour 209 grams
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup butter unsalted - room temperature (113 grams)
½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
5-6 drops green gel food color
10-15 cherry flavored jolly ranchers

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with a stand or hand mixer until light and fluffy.
Scrape down the bowl and add the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts and the green food color and beat again until fluffy and well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap the dough tightly in the plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out the chilled dough on a flat, lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness.
Use a 3-inch circle cutter to cut the cookies.
Use a 1-inch heart-shaped cutter to cut a heart inside the circle. Remove the heart dough from the circle and transfer the circle to the parchment-lined baking sheets.
Reroll the cookie dough as needed until it is all used. If the dough gets too soft to roll out, place it back in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes. Place the baking sheets with the cut-out cookie dough in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Unwrap the jolly rancher candy and place them in a small resealable bag. Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to smash the candies into small pieces.
Once the oven has preheated, remove the baking sheets from the refrigerator. Fill the heart cut-out with the crushed jolly ranchers being mindful not to get any candy on the dough.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are set. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets before serving.

Notes

Store the cookies in an airtight container in a single layer in a cool, dry place for up to three days. If it is not possible to store the cookies in a single layer, place a layer of parchment paper between the layers. This will help stop the cookies from sticking together.
Use gel food color in the dough, liquid food color will add more moisture making it difficult to roll and cut. Liquid food color is also not as vibrant as a gel food color.
You can leave out the almond extract if desired, although the almond flavor pairs very well with the cherry in the jolly ranchers.
The number of jolly ranchers needed will vary based on the size of the heart-shaped cutter used to make the cut-out.
Crush the jolly ranchers right before you fill the cookie cut-out. If you crush them too early they will get sticky and stick to the bag and each other and be difficult to use.
Do not skip chilling the cut-out dough on the baking sheets. Chilling the dough again after it has been cut will help prevent it from spreading.
You can save the heart-shaped cookie dough to bake. Place them on a separate baking sheet and bake them for 6-8 minutes. Do not bake them on the same sheet as the round cookies as they will burn if left in the oven for 12-14 minutes.
Do not try to remove the cookies from the baking sheet while still warm. The jolly ranchers need to set completely otherwise they will stick to the parchment and pull away from the cookie.
The cookie dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to three days tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

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