Spooky Halloween Cookies
This is one of my favorite recipes to make for Halloween get-togethers, parties, family treats and decorations. It takes a bit of time to make them, but they are well worth it. They taste delicious and look great too.
They make great take-home favors for kids' parties. Put 2 or 3 cookies in a cellophane treat bag found at a dollar store and tie the bag off with ribbon. I also use these cookies for decorating as suggested by the photo. Hung in front of a window or light they resemble stained glass.
Purchase a creepy Halloween table top tree from a craft store. Wrap miniature orange lights around it and hang the cookies from the branches. It makes a spooky semi-edible centerpiece for your buffet table.
The recipe and photos in this lens are from the Creative Cook's Kitchen.
Special Aids
Large and small Halloween cookie cutters
Large resealable plastic bags
Meat mallet (optional)
Rolling pin
Pastry bags fitted with small plain writing tips
Black and orange ribbon
All your ingredients are here, but the directions will begin with creating the cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 (18 oz) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Assorted color hard candies
- Powdered egg white (equivalent to 2 fresh egg whites)
- 2 cups Confectioners' sugar
- Assorted color sugar crystals
- White nonpareils
- Black food coloring paste
- Large and small Halloween cookie cutters
- 1 drinking straw
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil. Knead flour and pumpkin pie spice into cookie dough until smooth. Roll dough to a ¼ inch thickness.
- 2. Using large cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes; transfer to prepared baking sheets. Using small cookie cutters, cut out centers. Use a small ghost cutter in the center of a large ghost cookie or you can cut out different shapes such as ghosts inside of pumpkins. Be creative. Re-roll scraps for additional cookies.
- 3. If you plan on hanging the cookies, use a drinking straw to make a hole about ¼ inch from the top of the shapes. Bake cookies until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire rack to cool. Do not remove cookies.
- Filling the cookies
- 1. Place each color candy in separate resealable plastic bags; seal bags. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, break candies into small pieces.
- 2. Spoon candy pieces into center of cookie cutouts, filling the space completely. Brush off any candy crumbs from the cookie surface.
- 3. Return cookies to the oven. Bake until candy pieces are just melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer cookie sheets to wire rakes and cool completely. Peel cookies from foil and set aside.
Cookie Cutters
Decorating the Cookies
1. Prepare powdered egg white as package directs. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat confectioners’ sugar and prepared egg whites until thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Place half of the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain writing tip. Tint remaining frosting black; place in separate pastry bag with writing tip.
3. Pipe designs around inner and outer edges of the cookies and decorate the frosting with colored sugars and nonpareils as desired. Let cookies stand until decorations are set, about 30 minutes. Thread ribbon through small hole and tie to secure.
Don’t want to fuss with the frosting? You can purchase tubes of colored frosting from the baking aisle of your supermarket. They already come with a tip. Different styles of tips will add some pizzazz to your cookies.
Frosting Options
Chocolate chips can be glued to the pumpkin with a little frosting to create the jack-o-lantern face.
Candies
This recipe is great for Christmas too. Just use Christmas cookie cutters to create the ornaments and hang them on your tree!
Tell me what you think.
