Happy 4th of July everyone! Today I have something very special to share. Many many years ago, before The Skinny Fork was even a shadow of a thought, I had stumbled upon this recipe for July 4th Pop Rocks cookies and they were a HUGE hit with the family. They are bright, colorful, fun, and they pop in your mouth!
It's been a while since I've made those cookies, so I decided it was high time for me not only to make them, but to make a healthified version of them to share. These cookies are a lightly flavored sugar cookie base that's made with some popping candy in the dough. They are then topped off with a lightened up cream cheese frosting and then a bunch more popping candies and festive sprinkles too.
I lightened the cookie part up by using a light butter and substituted out some of the sugar for a natural sweetener. I also opted to make my own buttermilk with a reduced fat milk. This allowed me to control the milk being used and also saved me a few dollars and the waste of a whole container of buttermilk.
The frosting is lightened up with using a lower fat cream cheese and also some powdered sugar substitute in place of traditional confectioners' sugar. Don't worry though! The frosting is just as delish as ever; especially once you pile on on the popping candy and sprinkles!
Of course, you don't have to limit these cookies to the 4th of July! They could so easily be made for any event or holiday by swapping out the colors, popping candy, and decorative sprinkles.
Be sure to only add the popping candies on top of the frosting just before serving. Otherwise they'll pop themselves out before you get to enjoy them!
TheSkinnyFork.com Fun popping candy infused sugar cookies that are topped with a cream cheese frosting and even more candies and sprinkles on top for a perfectly snap, crackle, and pop of a sweet treat! Prep Time: 15 Minutes • Cook time: 12 Minutes
Servings: 24 • Serving Size: 1 Cookie • Calories: 114 • Fat: 6 g • Saturated Fat: 3 g • Carb: 14 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 2 g • Sugar: 6 g • Sodium: 73 mg
Cookies:
• 1/2 C. Light Butter
• 1/3 C. Sugar
• 1/3 C. Natural Sweetener
• 1/4 C. Light Buttermilk*
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
• 2 C. All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 1/2 Packets Strawberry 'Popping Candy'
• 1 1/2 Packets Blue Raspberry 'Popping Candy'
Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 4 Oz. Cold Neufachatel Cream Cheese
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. Butter, Softened
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar, Sifted
• 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar Substitute, Sifted
• Optional Toppings: More popping candy and festive sprinkles!
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and like a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet (for easy clean up.) *NOTE: I like to make my own buttermilk by adding 1/4 Tsp. white vinegar to a 1/4 C. milk and letting it set for 5-10 minutes or until thickened and lumpy. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the 1/2 C. butter, 1/3 C. sugar, and 1/3 C. sweetener until smooth. Add in the 1/4 C. buttermilk and the 1 Tbsp. vanilla; beating until well combined. Finally, add in the 2 C. flour, 1/2 Tsp. baking soda, and the 1/4 Tsp. salt. Mix just until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into three equal parts in three different bowls. Place a bit of blue food coloring into one bowl of dough and a bit of red food coloring into another; leaving the last one plain. Mix the dough with the food coloring until well blended. Add one packet of the strawberry popping candy to the red dough, 1 packet of the blue raspberry popping candy to the blue dough, and half of another packet of each of the colors to the plain dough. Drop the dough by rounded scoops onto the prepared baking sheet. (I used my 1 1/2" scoop to do this which is approximately 2 Tbsp.) Place them about 2" apart to allow for spreading as they bake. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 12-14 minutes or just until they are starting to brown. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack. While the cookies are cooling, beat the 4 Oz. cold cream cheese with 2 1/2 Tbsp. softened butter and 1 tsp. vanilla until well combined. Gradually add the 1/2 C. powdered sugar and 1/2 C. powdered sugar substitute until frosting is the desired consistency. Frost the cookies and top with more pop rocks or festive sprinkles to enjoy! (Only add the poping candies just before serving!)
Step-by-Step Photos:
Nutritional Claims: Low Sodium, Low Potassium, Kidney Friendly, Pescatarian, Egg Free, Peanut Free, Tree Nut Free, Soy Free, Fish Free, Shellfish Free, Pork Free, Red Meat Free, Crustacean Free, Celery Free, Mustard Free, Sesame Free, Lupine Free, Mollusk Free, Alcohol Free
