With Hallowe’en fast approaching, I made and decorated Hallowe’en cookies this week with my two granddaughters. I used a basic sugar cookie dough and royal icing, (both from Food Network Kitchen) sprinkles, googly eyes, and a toothpick for decorating.
Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe
- beat together 3/4 cup unsalted butter and 3/4 cup white granulated sugar until fluffy
- beat in one (slightly beaten) large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- add 2.5 cups all-purpose flour that has been blended with 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- mix until dough is smooth
- divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. I had mine in the fridge for two days. Let warm slightly before rolling out. Cut with cookie cutters
- place two inches apart on parchment-paper-lined cookie sheets (or baking mats)
- bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, just until bottoms start to brown
Royal Icing Recipe
- beat together 4 cups confectioners (icing) sugar, 1/4 cup meringue powder, and 1/3 cup water
- divide into containers, with amounts in each container depending on how much of each colour you need
- add food colour as desired.
- the recipe said to add water bit by bit until the right consistency was achieved to use piping bags and tips. I simply used a knife and spread the icing on like butter or cream cheese on a cracker, then smoothed it out with a wet knife. My icing was refrigerated overnight though, so that probably made it stiffer.
The eldest (seven) helped make the cookie dough earlier in the week on one of her online school breaks. The next day we cut out the shapes, baked the cookies, and made the icing…
As we ran out of time, (school does come first) that day, we decorated the batch of Hallowe’en cookies designated for her family the following day…
My younger granddaughter (two and a half) decorated her batch of Hallowe’en cookies today.
It was fun, a bit messy, but interesting to see their different creative styles. Of course, the seven-year-old was much more particular about how the cookies should look. The younger was more interested in sampling the icing!
