Description
Halloween Royal Icing Cookies are festive, buttery sugar cookies decorated with smooth royal icing in vibrant Halloween colors. Perfect for spooky celebrations, these cookies use a classic butter cookie base and a silky royal icing flavored with vanilla and almond emulsions to create bright orange and black designs. Decorate with themed candy skulls and sprinkles for a fun, eye-catching treat that’s perfect for parties or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter (chilled)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups + 2 tbsp (375 g) all-purpose flour
Royal Icing
- 4 egg whites
- 2 lbs powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp butter emulsion (or butter flavoring)
- ¼ tsp almond emulsion (or almond extract)
- Water (as needed)
- Gel food coloring (orange and black)
Decorations
- Halloween candy skulls (for coffin cookies)
- Sprinkles (for cauldron cookies)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream the chilled unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Stir in the salt, then gradually add the flour, mixing just until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use Halloween-themed cookie cutters like coffins and cauldrons to cut out shapes. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on wire racks before decorating.
- Make the Royal Icing: In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Gradually sift in the powdered sugar while mixing at low speed. Add vanilla extract, butter emulsion, and almond emulsion. Adjust the consistency with water, adding a few drops at a time, to achieve a smooth, pipeable icing. Divide the icing into separate bowls and tint with gel food coloring—one orange and one black.
- Decorate the Cookies: Using piping bags or brushes, decorate the cooled cookies with the colored royal icing. For coffin cookies, pipe a black outline and fill with orange icing, then add Halloween candy skulls on top for detail. For cauldron cookies, use black icing as the base and decorate with colorful sprinkles for a bubbling effect. Allow icing to dry completely, ideally overnight, to set.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is well chilled before making the dough to prevent spreading during baking.
- Use fresh egg whites for royal icing to ensure the best consistency.
- If concerned about raw eggs in royal icing, use pasteurized egg whites or meringue powder as a safe alternative.
- Gel food coloring provides vibrant colors without thinning the icing.
- Allow the icing sufficient time to dry to avoid smudging decorations.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.