Halloween Cookies

Have I mentioned that Halloween is my favorite holiday? Yeah it really is!!!! Tomorrow we have a pumpkin carving activity at the church and were asked to bring chips or a dessert. Well, i'm ambitious (or a glutton for punishment....who knows!) so we are bringing both. But instead of buying cookies I decided to try some decorated sugar cookies (again). I won't bore you with the long and drawn out story that is my trial with sugar cookies. I really love those iced sugar cookies but whenver I tried to make them at home they crumbled and the icing was less than stellar. So I was THRILLED when I stumbled upon this website that helped me. I also got a great cookie recipe from THE HUNGRY HOUSEWIFE . HOORAY!!!!
So here you go!!! The recipes and pictures to go with them!


Halloween Sugar Cookies

1 C real butter(NO SUBSTITUTIONS)

1 C sugar
1 egg

1 1/2 t almond extract (you could use vanilla too)

3 C flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Add in eggs and extract and mix to incorporate.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.

Shape the dough into 2 flat disks and wrap in waxed paper and place in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.

When you're ready to roll out dough lightly sprinkle flour onto your work surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin.

Cut to your desired shape

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes.

Remove onto cooling racks when you're done and let cool completely.

Decorate as you like.

Royal Icing
(this will cover approximately 3 dozen 3.5 inch cookies)

1 pound powdered sugar
5 TBSP meringue powder
scant 1/2 c. water
a few drops of extract (optional) - I didn't use extract this time around

Combine the meringue powder and water with a whisk attachment using an electric mixer. Beat until peaks begin to form. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. (You should be able to remove the beater from the mixer and hold up and jiggle without the peak falling.) If using an extract, add it then beat for a few more seconds to incorporate.

Cover with plastic wrap touching the icing or divide and color using gel paste food colorings.

(The most important step: sift the powdered sugar!I don't know why....it just works better!!.)

This "stiff" icing is perfect for outlining and even for building gingerbread houses and monogramming. To fill in your cookies, add water to your icing a little at a time until it is the consistency of syrup. This technique of filling a cookie with thinned icing is called "flooding."

and viola you have radically decorated cookies that will thrill the people you give them too!!!

cut and cooled cookies

use the stiff icing to make your outlines

the "flooding" icing should be runny

once flooding icing is placed on cookie-use a toothpick to get into the nooks and crannies

start decorating with the finer details

HAPPY EATING!!!!!!