We love the Christmas season for many reasons, but one is definitely the excuse to make these cookies. They get their name from their green color, but they do not share any other attributes with the Grinch. They are most certainly not "nasty, mean, foul, or cuddly as a cactus", but instead are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, minty, buttery cookies that melt in your mouth! Fun to give as gifts or just to enjoy with your kiddos.
Grinch Cookies
Makes 2 dozen
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3-4 drops green food coloring
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (a 1:1 kind)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Nestle Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels or Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat. Add the peppermint extract and green food coloring; mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate and mint baking chips. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Drop cookies using a 2-tablespoon size cookie scoop. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until just starting to brown on edges. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need butter, sugar, an egg, peppermint extract, green food coloring, gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and chocolate and mint baking chips. If you can't find these Nestle chips, look for the Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips (even yummier) or chop up Andes Mints.
In a mixing bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
Add one egg and beat to combine.
Add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract,.....
......and 3-4 drops of green food coloring. This will give it that "Grinchy" look.
Next, add the dry ingredients. You will need 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour ( I used the Great Value Gluten Free Flour), 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat until combined.
Add 1 cup of chocolate and mint baking chips and stir to incorporate.
You'll have a nice thick cookie dough that has a slightly green tint. :)
On a parchment lined baking sheet (I use my silicone mat), drop by 2 T. sized scoops, 12 to a sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes or until they just begin to brown on the edges.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for about 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
These cookies have an awesome texture with a crispy outside, and soft inside. It's definitely the cream of tartar that is lending them to be a melt-in-your-mouth cookie.
They will turn any grinchy, grumpy kiddo into a happy one. Who knows, they may even help their hearts to grow a few sizes!
Recipe Source: Shanna's recipe box