Halloween Sugar Cookies

Halloween is one week away! Today was my day off, but instead of using it to study I made these Halloween sugar cookies. Yesterday I had a midterm for pharmacology & pharmaceutical chemistry, so I kind of needed a mini vacation from school. I love that we have Tuesdays off this quarter, because right after Mondays it feels like it is the weekend again =) Back to the grind tomorrow *sigh*. At least I can bring some of these delicious sugar cookies to get me through the day! This sugar cookie recipe has been in my family a long time, and my mom and I would always make them for every holiday. Here is a really helpful tip when rolling out the sugar cookie dough: Flour is your friend. Use lots of flour! You can get really creative with how you decorate them, and if you don’t like using a lot of frosting you can also drizzle ganache over them – YUM. I haven’t been able to get back down to socal to see my family in forever!! I miss them 🙁

OK, so tell me, what are your plans for Halloween and what costume will you be wearing? I didn’t get a costume this year, but maybe somebody can inspire me to dress up =)

Halloween Sugar Cookies
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total
 
Type: Dessert
Serves: 18
Ingredients
Cookies
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsp vanilla
Frosting
  • 1cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tbsp shortening
  • 2½ tbsp milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • Food coloring
Instructions
  1. Cream butter, salt and sugar in a standalone mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed.
  2. Add vanilla and egg and blend.
  3. Add flour, and use a spatula to help scrape the dough from the sides while mixing on low until everything is well blended and fluffy.
  4. With floured hands, gather dough into a flattened ball and wrap in wax paper.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 325 ºF.
  7. Roll chilled dough onto a floured surface with a floured rolling pin ¼ inch thick.
  8. Cut out Halloween shapes with floured cookie cutters, and quickly transfer to an ungreased baking sheet using a spatula or peel off carefully with your fingers. halloween cookie cutters
  9. Sprinkle baking decorations on top if desired.
  10. Bake for 13 minutes, or until surface is firm. Do not overbake or the cookies will be too hard. halloween sugar cookies halloween sugar cookies
  11. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool 1 hour before frosting.
  12. Once completely cool, frost and decorate (see frosting recipe below). frosted halloween cookies halloween cookies
Frosting
  1. Mix confectioners’ sugar, shortening, milk, and vanilla with a hand mixer on medium speed or standalone mixer with whisk attachment until well blended. Separate into different bowls and stir in a few drops of food coloring as desired.
Makes 18 cookies

 

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19 comments

  1. Petra says:

    It was so good to meet you too! Your site is great, and good on you already ready for Halloween! I haven’t even started thinking about it yet. I’ll have to whip up a batch of these this weekend

  2. Brigitt says:

    Hey Kristianne! So good to meet you in SF this weekend! Hope you enjoyed the rest of the weekend. Thanks for checking out my blog. Love these cute sugar cookies–so festive. Decorating sugar cookies is one of my favorite things to do at Christmas time, but I never really thought to make them at other holidays too!

  3. Liz says:

    You can never go wrong with sugar cookies. They are such a versatile cookie that can be decorated for any occasion. Yummy!

  4. kitchenriffs says:

    The food styling on that top photo is terrific – very creative. And your decorations are great! It’s been some time since we’ve had sugar cookies. My wife bakes these – maybe if I ask her with tears in my eyes? 😉 Good stuff – thanks.

  5. Erika says:

    Omg LOVE THESE! Those are the most perfectly frosted sugar cookies I’ve ever seen, store-bought aside. Do you just use a knife to frost them?

    • Kristianne says:

      Thanks, Erika! I used a butterknife (many many passes – very tedious lol) and a plastic snack bag with a tiny hole cut in it for the top part of them!

  6. Bam's Kitchen says:

    Thanks so much for stopping by my website so that I could find your lovely place here. So many delicious dishes and photos. I am looking forward to keeping in touch. Happy Halloween to you! BAM

  7. melissa@the hungry artist says:

    These are such cute Halloween cookies and so beautifully decorated!

    I have the same bat and pumpkin cookie cutters, but I don’t think I’ll have time to make any cookies this year. I still have to make my son’s costume! He will be a creeper (from the game Minecraft), and I am going to be a zombie. 🙂

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