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Soft Green Velvet Grinch Heart Cookies

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These soft green velvet Grinch heart cookies are a quick and easy holiday treat made with cream cheese for a tender crumb. Perfect for cookie swaps, classroom parties, or a cozy night in, they come together in about 30 minutes and are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Green gel food coloring (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened (for frosting)
  • ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 1 ½ cups (180g) powdered sugar (for frosting)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • Red sanding sugar or heart sprinkles (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  4. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat on low speed until just combined.
  5. Add the green gel food coloring, starting with about ½ teaspoon and adding more until you reach the desired Grinch-green shade. Mix until evenly colored.
  6. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three batches, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears after each addition. Do not overmix.
  7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a flat disc about 1-inch thick. If the dough is too sticky, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  8. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Press straight down without twisting. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut again.
  9. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges are just set and the centers look slightly underdone. They should not be browned.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. While the cookies cool, make the cream cheese frosting: Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then beat on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  12. Spread or pipe a small amount of frosting onto each cooled cookie, then top with red sanding sugar or a tiny red heart sprinkle.

Notes

Don’t overbake—cookies should look slightly underdone when removed from the oven. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Gel food coloring is preferred over liquid to avoid adding extra moisture. If dough is sticky, chill for 10-15 minutes before rolling. Cookies taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: green velvet cookies, Grinch cookies, heart cookies, holiday cookies, cream cheese cookies, easy Christmas cookies

Find it online: https://forkifyfun.com/soft-green-velvet-grinch-heart-cookies-recipe-best-easy-holiday-treat/