Halloween Sugar Cookies

These spooky cookies are the perfect treat for Halloween visitors of all ages. If you don't have spiderweb or bat cookie cutters, use cardboard templates to cut the rolled dough into the desired shapes. Decorate with royal-icing--spread the icing over the cookie, and while it is still wet, pipe a different color on top to make a pattern.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Makes Approximately 2 Dozen Cookies

This sugar cookie recipe is a holiday favorite.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 pound semisweet chocolate
• Royal Icing (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the baking powder and salt. Beat until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the all-purpose flour a little bit at a time and mix until well blended. Wrap and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured board, roll out one third of the dough at a time. Roll to about 1/8 inch thick. Using either cookie cutters or a pattern cut out of cardboard, cut cookies into shapes of bats and cobwebs. Place shapes on parchment-lined baking sheets, positioning the cookies about 1 inch apart. Chill until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until the edges are firm and the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.
3. For chocolate coating: Place chocolate in a metal bowl over a pan of hot, not boiling, water and melt. Spread the melted chocolate onto the cookies with the back of a spoon to cover. Decorate with royal icing. To make a cobweb design: Ice a cookie with the white royal icing. Pipe out a spiral of black icing starting from the center to the edges of the cookie. Draw a bamboo skewer or the point of a wooden toothpick from the center to each point on the cookie, and then from the inner curves back to the center.

Chocolate Cookie Recipe

Makes 5 Dozen

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
3. Add the flour mixture; mix on low speed until the flour is thoroughly combined. Divide the dough in half; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a well-floured board, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters or cardboard templates. Place the shapes on parchment-lined baking sheets and chill until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are crisp but not darkened. Cool on wire racks before icing.

Royal Icing Recipe

Makes About 3/4 Cup

This is enough for 15 to 18 cookies. Make it in small batches if you only plan to decorate a few cookies, or double the recipe if you'll be decorating a large number of cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg white
• 3 or 4 drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Liquid or paste food coloring

Directions:

1. Mix the sugar, egg white and lemon juice in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy. It should have the consistency of heavy cream (you may need to add a bit more sugar). Add desired food coloring.
2. Divide icing into smaller bowls. Tint with small amounts of food coloring; mix well for even color.
3. Spread a thin layer of base icing on the cooled cookies, using a flat metal spatula. Allow to set uncovered at least 1 1/2 hours or overnight. Cover bowls of leftover icing with plastic wrap; the wrap should not touch the icing. This prevents it from drying out.
4. Thicken the icing with a bit of confectioners' sugar and spoon it into pastry bags. Ice the cookies using plain pastry tips, number 2, 3 and 4.

Note: Raw eggs should not be used in food prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, the elderly or anyone whose health is compromised.

Cobweb Halloween Cookies

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