Buttery sweet Grinch cookies are a twist on Christmas thumbprint cookies. These festive cookies have a soft vanilla center in Grinch green and a red heart, and will be a favorite on any holiday cookie tray!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cream butter and sugar tgoether with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add one egg yolk to the butter mixture. Continue mixing with an electric mixer until well mixed.
In a second medium bowl, mix together flour and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture about 1/3 at a time to the butter mixture, mixing well with an electric mixer in between until a dough forms.
With a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough into tablespoon size scoops. and roll into balls. Place the balls of cookie dough on the prepared cookie sheet with about two inches of space in between.
Use the end of a wooden spoon or your thumb to create a hole in the top of each cookie for the filling. I’ve also found using the round end of my extract bottle or a clean cork from a bottle of wine gives me the best shape and size for the chocolate to stay in the cookie. About 3/4 of an inch across is the perfect size circle.
Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently press a circle into the center of each cookie a second time. Place back in the oven and bake 10-12 minutes or until the cookie is light golden brown.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely to the touch, about thirty minutes.
To Make The Filling
In a medium bowl add powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and milk and mix well until. The filling should be thin enough to scoop out with a spoon, but thick enough to set and not run out of the cookies. See notes.
Place the filling in a strong freezer zip-top bag. Snip the corner off the bag. Fill each cooled cookie with the filling and add a heart sprinkle to each cookie.
Allow the cookies to sit uncovered until the filling has set. Then enjoy!
Notes
The filling should be on the thicker side, but if you are finding yours is too thick you can add milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time up to 2 extra teaspoons until you reach your desired consistency. Adding extra milk will make the filling take longer to set.