Sugared Grinch Cookies

Grinch-themed confections are very popular at Christmastime, especially with kids! But, these Sugared Grinch Cookies will appeal to everyone! With a sweet, sugary coating, these thick, puffy cookies are loaded with milk chocolate too! And, despite the fact that the Grinch’s heart was three sizes too small, I’ve used the biggest red candy heart I could find!

Even though I’m not a huge fan of the Grinch – yes, I said it! – these Sugared Grinch Cookies certainly made up for the fact that I have sat through the movie more times than I care to count! To be honest, the only thing I like about the movie is Cindy Lou Who’s hair, because let’s face it, that is a work of art! And, secondly, I need that Christmas light decorating gun that Martha May Whovier uses to decorate her home!

I’m obviously referring to Christine Baranski in the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey. Now, as a Canadian, I should love anything that Jim Carrey does, but I really don’t like his acting. I feel like he’s the same person in almost every role he’s played. He’s like Jennifer Anniston (Rachel) in Friends. Every role I’ve seen her in is just an extension of the Rachel character. Lord, I better stop, because I’m starting to sound like the Grinch!

In our home, Christmas movies are a must! We squeeze in as many as we can as soon as Halloween is over. The Jim Carrey version of the Grinch is my least favourite though. If I have to watch either version, I would pick the animated 2018 version, and if you knew me well, you would know just how big that statement is because I hate animated movies! Ha! I’m just going to get into the recipe now because I feel like I’m digging myself into a hole. I digress!

LORD BYRON’S 24 COOKIES OF CHRISTMAS – VOLUME 5

I’m so excited about this year’s cookie countdown! This is the fifth consecutive year; can you believe that? Each of the previous years has included 24 cookies and this year will not be any different. I’ll share a new Christmas cookie recipe each and every single day for the next 24 days – even on Saturday and Sunday!

You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas cookie recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to bake the same holiday cookies year after year?

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Volume 5 of Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas! Fresh off of my 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas and my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series, I’m ready to plow through the next 24 days with you!

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday baking countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
• Sugar – Sugar has more than one function in baking.  Not only does it add sweetness, but it will caramelize too, which will help to brown cookies and cakes. 
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies. 

• Baking Soda – Commonly known as sodium bicarbonate, or just bicarb, it is a baking ingredient that’s activated by a liquid and an acid to help with leavening or rising.  In most cases, you will see baking soda in recipes with lemon juice or buttermilk, but that’s not always the case.
• Baking Powder – This is used to increase the volume of the batter and to add texture as well.
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking.  In baking it helps to enhance and balance sweetness. 
• Chocolate Chips – One cup is all you need. I used milk chocolate chips, but semi-sweet or dark will work too if that’s your preference.
• Green Food Colouring
• Red Heart Candies

FOOD COLOURING

Before I get too far into this, I am just going to get this one thing out of the way. Yes, I did use food colouring to dye the cookie dough. Using food colouring is not ideal for some people, but I don’t personally have an issue with it. I know there are many “natural” ways of colouring food, so if you already employ those in other recipes, feel free to do so here too.

Using the gel type of food colouring is best in this case. The gel will allow you to tint the cookie dough without changing the viscosity of the dough. You may have to use too much of the liquid colouring to get the dough tinted enough. Adding more than 8-10 drops of liquid colouring will change the firmness of the dough and may result in a flatter cookie once baked.

If you’ve been reading Lord Byron’s Kitchen for any length of time, you will know that I’m a fan of gel food colouring. In fact, 99% of the time, I use Wilton brand gel in all of my recipes. I’m not sponsored at all by Wilton, but that particular brand is always reliable.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

You can use whichever chocolate chip you tend to favour. I prefer milk chocolate or semi-sweet. But, I have been known to use dark chocolate a time or two.

For this particular recipe, I like to use milk chocolate. Milk chocolate chips have a creamier texture and lends themselves so well to the texture and the soft crumb of the Sugared Grinch Cookies. Since these cookies are not super soft, the milk chocolate chips will make them feel like they are!

I used mini milk chocolate chips. Again, it was because I wanted the cookie to look just as good as it tastes. You can use regular size chips. In fact, you can skip the chips completely if you want.

LET’S TALK SPRINKLES!

Where do you buy sprinkles?  Do you have a favourite vendor or brand?  A few Christmases back, I changed my sprinkle game.  I would always buy sprinkles from the baking supply section at Bulk Barn, but not anymore – no way!  Let me tell you how this all went down.

In November 2018, I was baking a few Christmas goodies and just could not source sprinkles that looked anything like what I was imagining in my head. John.e was on a major sprinkle hunt.  He used to work in close proximity to Michael’s, HomeSense, Winners, and Marshall’s.  He purchased at least ten different sprinkle colours, shapes, and brands.  But, I wasn’t impressed with any of them as much as I was with Sweetapolita.

After Christmas, I needed Valentine’s sprinkles, so I tracked down the brand and found their online store.  I ordered enough sprinkles to last a lifetime!  Shopping for sprinkles online might seem a little over the top, but I’ve never once pretended to shy away from getting what I want!

For these Sugared Grinch Cookies, you can use any heart-shaped sprinkle or candy. I found these on Amazon. They are Wilton brand, so you might find them at Michaels – the baking section at Michaels is well stocked with Wilton-brand sprinkles and confections.

HOW TO MAKE SUGARED GRINCH COOKIES

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat them into the mixture.

Next, beat in the vanilla and salt. Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. On low speed, beat the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Add in the food colouring and continue to mix until the desired level of green is achieved. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Use a small scoop to portion the cookie dough. Roll into balls and then into the sugar until well coated. Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving two inches of space between each cookie. Bake for exactly 12 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven and press one candy heart or sprinkle into the center of each.  Allow the cookies to cool for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Sugared Grinch Cookies, you certainly can! Once completely cooled, pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. If packaging, wait until the condensation has evaporated. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!