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Lighter Red Velvet Grinch Cookies with White Chocolate

Lighter Red Velvet Grinch Cookies with White Chocolate - featured image
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These soft, tender red velvet cookies are made lighter with Greek yogurt and whole wheat pastry flour, topped with tangy cream cheese frosting and a white chocolate heart. They’re a festive, crowd-pleasing holiday treat that comes together in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups (180g) whole wheat pastry flour
  • ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (60g) plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon red food coloring
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 4 oz (113g) Neufchâtel cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Green food coloring
  • ¼ cup (45g) white chocolate chips or melting wafers

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat ¼ cup softened butter and ½ cup granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Beat in ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon red food coloring until just combined.
  5. Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add 2 tablespoons buttermilk and stir. Add the remaining flour mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  6. Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You should get about 18 cookies.
  7. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops look slightly cracked. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. While the cookies cool, beat 4 oz softened Neufchâtel cheese and 2 tablespoons softened butter together until smooth. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and beat until creamy. Add green food coloring a few drops at a time until you reach your desired shade.
  9. Once the cookies are completely cool, pipe or spread a small amount of green frosting in the center of each cookie.
  10. Melt ¼ cup white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Transfer to a small zip-top bag, snip off a tiny corner, and pipe a small heart shape onto the green frosting on each cookie. Let the chocolate set for about 15 minutes.

Notes

Don’t overmix the dough. Use a cookie scoop for even baking. Check your oven temperature. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting. Pipe the white chocolate hearts carefully. If the frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk.

Nutrition

Keywords: red velvet cookies, Grinch cookies, lighter cookies, white chocolate, holiday cookies, cream cheese frosting

Find it online: https://lolaspoon.com/lighter-red-velvet-grinch-cookies-with-white-chocolate/