Halloween Sugar Cookies

By Bob Sherman

Regular visitors to our site may recognize this as Grandma's sugar cookie recipe. In this article I will show some great cookie making ideas for Halloween.

The dough for these needs to be colored for best effect so the basic recipe has been modified to reflect that. For those who prefer to learn from a video, this project is featured on our EZ Make Halloween Treats 2 DvD.

Materials
In addition to the basic recipe, the following materials were used:


Recipe

Wet mix - Cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Dry mix - Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

While blending add the dry mix to the wet mix a little at a time until fully blended.

Remove 20% of the dough and set aside.

Add orange food color to the bowl and mix well.

Remove the orange dough, wipe out the mixer.

Place the 20% of the dough set aside previously into the mixer.

Add black food color and mix well.

Wrap both dough colors in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (longer is better). This will make it easier to roll out.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick.

Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and transfer them to an un greased cookie sheet.

Decorate as desired (see suggestions below).

Bake until edges are lightly browned (6 -8 minutes).

Allow to sit on the sheet for 1 minute after removing from the oven, then use a spatula to transfer to cooling racks. Note: we never had cooling racks and used to place these atop bath towels spread out on a table to cool. So if you don't have cooling racks try that.

Hints And Tips

Always bake these one sheet at a time.

Always allow the cookie sheets to cool before placing more cookies on it.

Jack - O - Lantern Cookie Instructions

Step 1
These instructions use the Jack o' Lantern cookie cutter set.

Prepare the dough as explained above.

Note: Always work with chilled dough when making rolled cookies - it is much easier to use.


Step 2
Roll out the orange dough to approximately 1/8 inch thick.

Use the large pumpkin cutter .


Step 3
Use a spatula to transfer the pumpkins to a baking sheet.


Step 4
Use the cutters to make the eyes, nose, and mouth openings.


Step 5
Roll out some black dough.

Cut matching eyes, nose, and mouth.


Step 6
Position the black eyes, nose, and mouth in the holes made in step 4.


Step 7
Bake as per the recipe instructions.


Step 8
This alternate design is made by skipping step 4 and simply placing the black eyes, nose, and mouth atop the orange dough. This is slightly easier, but does not look as nice in my opinion.


Step 9
Another alternate design that is created by cutting out the eyes, nose, and mouth but not filling them with another color dough. Again, this is easier but does not look as nice.


Alternate Decorating Ideas

The same insert technique may be used for pumpkins (lower left cookie).

Non-Pareils and edible confetti may also be used to add some variety to your cookies.


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Disclaimer: The information presented here is accurate to the best of my knowledge and common chocolate making practices as of the time of this writing - originally published in October 2008 and updated in November 2010. The author and the publisher accept no liability for the use or misuse of any of the information presented in this article. This article is presented for informational purposes and is used at your own risk.

Author: Bob Sherman

Publisher: Bobby's Craft Boutique Inc.

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