• While you will make the cookies first, you will want to set the unsalted butter out so that it comes to room temperature. The unsalted butter will be used when preparing the buttercream.

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, add in the flour and baking powder. Stir the ingredients to combine them.
• In the stand mixer, cream the salted butter and sugar together until all of the butter lumps are gone.
• Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
• Slowly add the flour and baking powder mixture into the wet ingredients until the dough forms a ball. If the ball is very sticky, add another tablespoon of flour.
• Roll the dough onto a floured surface and use the round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
• Place six cut out cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the center of the cookies do not appear wet.
• Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a piece of parchment paper. Repeat the cookie baking process for all remaining cookies.

Grinch Buttercream Frosting

• Add the room temperature unsalted butter to the stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment until lighter in color.
• Add the powdered sugar to the mixer, along with the vanilla extract and two tablespoons of milk.
• Place a clean towel over the stand mixer and mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides if needed.
• If the frosting is thicker than a creamy peanut butter consistency, add in 1-2 more tablespoons of milk.
• Pull out one cup of frosting and dye that red. Add the red frosting into a piping bag with the tip #12.
• Dye the rest of the frosting green. Put one cup of green frosting into a piping bag with the tip #233.

Decorating the Grinch Sugar Cookies

• First, create the heart buttercream transfers: Lay the template onto a tray that will fit into the freezer. Place a piece of parchment paper over the template and tape it down. Pipe the hearts onto the parchment paper and place the tray into the freezer then move to decorating the Grinch hair.
• Pipe the Grinch hair with the green frosting. Be as messy as you want here, as the Grinch probably isn't the best at combing his hair.
• Once all of the cookies have their Grinch hair on them, remove the hearts from the freezer. Peel one heart off of the parchment paper and place it onto a Grinch cookie. Repeat for all of the cookies.