Grits cookies with lemon frosting!
Oh, hiii there! Did you forget my name while I was gone? I sure hope not. I apologize for the long absense, but I just enjoyed an unplugged vacation. How was your Christmas? How was your New Year’s? Really, tell me! Our Christmas was great. We spent part of our time in Dallas, and then flew to Georgia for the rest. I’d never been to Georgia before, and I really enjoyed it! I geeked out in Civil War museums, shopped til I dropped with my new sister-in-law, and ate too much fried chicken at Mary Mac’s. I’ve always wanted to eat at Mary Mac’s, so it was a dream come true.
We flew back into Texas on New Year’s eve, tossed back a few glasses of Prosecco with my Mom, Dad, and the wedding planner, and then promptly fell asleep before 10pm. I’m not proud of it, but it’s my life.
The truth is, I missed y'all! And I certainly missed my kitchen. I've been toying around with the idea for a cookie made with grits for a few months. Every time I make grits, I love watching the pat of butter melt on top and swirling it in. But, a dessert with grits?! Now that sounds like something truly special.
You're going to love these soft and cakey cookies with a hint of lemon. And I'm not going to ask you to have leftover grits laying around---we're going to make them fresh in the microwave right before we bake the cookies. Easy! Let's do this!
Grits Cookies
Buttered Grits Cookies with a sweet frosting. Soft, pillowy cookies made with grits!
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 3 tablespoons stone-ground grits
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
For the lemon frosting:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- optional: yellow sparkling sugar for decorating*
Instructions
- First, make the grits. In a large coffee mug or deep cup, stir together the grits and water. Microwave on high for 90 seconds, making sure it doesn't overflow the cup. After 90 seconds, stir, then heat another 30 seconds. If any part of the grits or water boils over, start over. You need all of the liquid for the recipe.
- Pour the grits into a medium bowl and stir to cool while gathering other ingredients. When the grits have cooled slightly, add the butter and sugar. Stir together very well (the butter will melt completely), then stir in the egg and lemon zest.
- Next, sprinkle the flour, baking powder and salt over the mixture and stir gently to combine (do not over-mix). Chill the mixture for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350. Divide the dough into 6 large scoops and space them evenly on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until the bottoms start to turn golden and the cookie can easily be lifted off the sheet. Let cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat together all ingredients. Add extra lemon juice if needed to thin it out. Frost the cookies when they're cool, and serve.
Notes
*I made my own yellow sparkling sugar. I bought plain large sugar crystals, poured 1 tablespoon into a small bowl, and added 1 drop of yellow food dye. Stir to combine, then decorate!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 404Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 78mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 1gSugar: 45gProtein: 3g
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
I love grits but never imagined them in a cookie. This is a fantastic idea!
Carla @ Carlas Confections says
Im glad you took a break :) I did too. It felt amazing to have a nice break, but I missed my kitchen too (even though I didnt technically have one...) These cookies look so fluffy and yummy! I would definitely try them!
Meghan says
OMG! That "butter pat" is so friggin cute!
Kimby | a little lunch says
Anytime you can turn breakfast into a dessert is a good day -- no, a GREAT day! Glad to hear you unplugged and enjoyed time with family. Happy New Year!
a farmer in the dell says
This is genius!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
Brilliant! I can't wait to try these!
Veronica says
Should this be thick pancake batter consistency before heading into the fridge? I think I may have taken a wrong turn somewhere.
Gigi says
If I happened to have leftover grits, could I use them? And if yes, approx. how much would I need?
Thanks.
Christina says
Hi Gigi, I don't recommend it. With leftover grits, you never know how much water they've absorbed. That's why I made fresh before baking. Happy baking :)
Shannon says
This is a wonderful recipe. I did use a regular cookie dough scoop and got 15 smaller cookies.
We loved the texture and crumb of these artfully creative cookies!
Deeann says
We've got a place just outside of town that sells stone-ground grits they grind right there (Logan Turnpike Mill in Blairsville, GA). Should I use white grits or yellow grits? And when I cook grits, they take 25+ minutes on the stove - would 1.5 minutes in the microwave even put a dent in them? I would hate to make this recipe and end up having the grits still be crunchy! Thanks and I can't wait to try these!
Christina says
Hi Deeann!
First, your local, stone-ground grits sound delightful!
You may use either white or yellow. I used stone-ground quick-cooking grits. And after 90 seconds, they were still the slightest bit crunchy, but in a good way. Almost like a piece of walnut in the cookie--something crunchy, but nothing to break your tooth on. After 90 seconds, most of the grits should be sufficiently softened, with a few flecks of harder pieces.
Let me know how it goes :)
Christina
Anne O says
Can you double this recipe as 6 lg cookies just aren't enough? If so, I'm assuming you'd just double all the ingredients.
Christina Lane says
You can, Anne. Good luck!