Description
These Halloween Sugar Cookies are festive, soft, and perfectly sweet treats ideal for celebrating the spooky season. Made with a classic sugar cookie dough, tinted with vibrant food coloring, and decorated with sweet icing and sprinkles, they bring a fun and colorful addition to any Halloween party or treat tray.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Food coloring (orange, black, purple), optional
Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decoration
- Assorted sprinkles
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a smooth base for your dough.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until fully combined to infuse flavor and moisture.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agent and seasoning.
- Mix Dough: Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. This ensures a tender yet sturdy cookie structure.
- Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough into desired portions and tint each with food coloring if you want colorful Halloween-themed cookies.
- Chill Dough: Shape each portion into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling helps the cookies keep their shape while baking.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Roll and Cut Shapes: Roll out each chilled dough disk on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just set but not browned, ensuring soft and tender cookies.
- Cool Cookies: Remove from oven and let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before decorating to prevent melting of the icing.
- Prepare Icing: Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly thick. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk to thin or sugar to thicken.
- Decorate: Use the icing and assorted sprinkles to decorate the cooled cookies. Allow the icing to set fully before serving to ensure clean designs and easy handling.
Notes
- Chill the dough thoroughly to help the cookies maintain their shape during baking.
- For more detailed designs, consider using royal icing instead of the simple powdered sugar icing.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days to keep them fresh.
