Easy Halloween Sugar Cookies
Halloween is all about tricks and treats, so you may as well treat yourself this spooky season with these Easy Halloween Sugar Cookies paired with a royal icing recipe. This small batch sugar cookie recipe yields 8 to 12 buttery, soft sugar cookies that are perfect for parties or treat bags.
Ingredients
Small Batch Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (72 grams)
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Small Batch Royal Icing
- 1 cup + 1/4 cup powdered sugar ( 125grams)
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder ( grams)
- 2 tablespoon lukewarm water
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Dough
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside. With a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix in the egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract on low to medium speed until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough might look slightly crumbly but that's okay. Transfer it onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it together into a disk, and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough on a silicone mat or parchment paper, then cover it with another sheet of parchment. Roll the dough to about 1/2 or 1/4 inch thick (thicker cookies are softer and thinner cookies are crispier). Peel off the top parchment, cut out your cookies, and use a knife or spatula to transfer them to the baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely before icing.
Royal Icing + Decorating
- In a stand mixer, combine sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 2 tablespoons of warm water, along with the vanilla and almond extract. Mix on low for 1 minute, then increase to medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- Divide the royal icing into four bowls, but set aside just 2 tablespoons in one of them. Add a few drops of gel food colouring to the bowls—I used orange, black, and green, leaving one plain white. Stir the colours in, and add water 1/2 teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency you want. Transfer the icing into piping bags and cut a small hole at the tip.
- For the bat, outline the shape with black icing, then flood the cookie with more icing. Use a toothpick to spread it evenly. Add candy eyes, and let the cookie dry for a few minutes before drawing on fangs.For a pumpkin cookie, outline the shape with orange icing, then fill it in. Use a toothpick to spread the icing evenly. Let it dry for 20 minutes. Once dry, use green icing to add the stem and vines, and black icing to draw a face.For the ghost, outline and fill the shape with white icing. Let it rest for 20 minutes, then use black icing to add eyes and a mouth.