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Halloween Sugar Cookie Recipe
5 from 20 votes

Halloween Sugar Cookie Recipe

This Halloween Sugar Cookie Recipe produces classic sugar cookies with a soft yet firm texture suitable for detailed cookie cutter shapes. The dough combines sugars with butter, shortening, eggs, almond and vanilla extracts, and flour with baking powder for structure. After cutting and baking to a soft golden edge, the cookies are cooled before decorating with royal icing made from powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water for smooth, hard-drying decoration.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
7 mins
Cooling Time
30 mins
Total Time
57 mins
Servings: 20
Calories: 269 kcal
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 2 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup flour for rolling out the dough
  • 1 pound powdered sugar
  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons meringue powder
  • 1/3 cup water

Instructions

For the Halloween Cookies
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine sugar, powdered sugar, butter, and shortening in a stand mixer. Mix until well combined.
  2. Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until combined.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
  4. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture a little at a time. Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a soft ball when pressed together.
  5. Remove dough from the bowl and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface (about 1/4 cup flour). Roll out to 3/8-inch thickness (see notes above).
  6. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
  7. Bake cookies on a lined baking sheet for 7 minutes (6 minutes for smaller cookies). Remove cookies from the pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
  8. After the cookies have completely cooled, they are ready for decorating (see notes above).
For the Royal Icing
  1. Combine all the ingredients in the stand mixer and let it whisk on high for 3 minutes scraping the sides as needed.
  2. Use gel food coloring for desired colors. (*See Recipe Notes)

Notes

  • Roll dough to about 3/8-inch thick for ideal baking and shape retention.
  • Bake cookies for 6-7 minutes depending on size until edges are lightly golden.
  • Cool cookies completely before applying royal icing to prevent melting.
  • Use the referenced royal icing recipe for detailed and hardened decorating results.

Nutrition Information

Calories 269kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 47g (16%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 2g (10%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 29mg (10%) Sodium 109mg (5%) Potassium 41mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 31g (62%) Vitamin A 166IU (3%) Calcium 10mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 269

% Daily Value*

Calories 269kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 47g 16%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 109mg 5%
Potassium 41mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 31g 62%
Vitamin A 166IU 3%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.