Halloween Sugar Cookies

 I'm so glad I came across this amazing sugar cookie recipe by Bake at 350

These cookies are so incredibly easy to make.

You don't even have to refrigerate the dough.

It's that easy to handle.

The tricky part is decorating the cookies

I found the Royal Icing recipe HERE

But with practice, it gets easier.

Plus I recommend using one cookie cutter, not 8 like me :)

Figuring out colors for icing and decorating 

is a lot easier with one main cookie cutter being used.

Ingredients:
 makes 2-3 dozen, 
 Depending on cookie-cutter size

Sugar Cookies

3 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar
1 c (salted) butter, cold & cut into chunks
1 egg
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract (optional)

Royal Icing
4 Tbsp meringue powder*
scant 1/2 c. water
2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp light corn syrup
 

*Walmart, cake-decorating aisle
*Halloween Cookie-cutters, food coloring,
 squeeze bottles also found at Wal-mart

Instructions:

Cookies

1. Whisk 3 c flour, 2 tsp baking powder.  Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, beat 1 c sugar and 1 c butter.
3. Add 1 egg, 3/4 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp almond extract. Add Flour.
4. Mix until just combined.
5. Take out dough and knead dough on a floured surface to get a nice smooth dough.
6. Roll out dough with rolling pin.  With every roll, turn your dough clockwise to prevent it from sticking to the counter.
7. Use desired cookie cutters to cut out dough, set cookie cut-outs on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Store baking sheet in freezer for 5 minutes before baking.
9. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
10. Cool on sheet for 10 minutes, cool completely on cooling rack.

Royal Icing:

1. Beat 4 Tbsp meringue powder and scant 1/2 c water (almost to top of rim) until foamy.
2. Slowly add sifted (very important) 2 c powdered sugar and 1 tsp corn syrup.
3. Beat on med/high until stiff peaks just start to form, don't overmix.
4. Add desired food coloring to icing.

For Coloring and Preparing Royal Icing, click HERE (this is a huge help for beginners!)

Honestly, there are lots of wonderful tutorials on SweetSugarBelle's site, just look around!
And everyone does it a little differently, so find out what works best for you!

I also recommend University of Cookie!

They are LIFESAVERS!

Designing your cookies

1. Pipe outline onto cookie.  Let it sit for 30 minutes before you flood the cookies.
2. Squeeze the leftover icing into a squeeze bottle (can be found at wal-mart).   
3. Add 1/8 tsp of water at a time to the squeeze bottle and stir with a long-handled skinny spoon until you get a syrupy substance.  
4. If you add too much water, then just add more icing.  
5. Don't shake the bottle, that will cause air bubbles to form in your icing.  
6. Just keep stirring and let it rest to prevent air bubbles.
7. If you do get air bubbles on your cookies after flooding, poke the icing with a toothpick and that will get rid of them.
8. When flood icing is ready, squeeze onto cookie, icing will slowly spread out to fill the cookie.
9. Allow cookies to dry for at least one hour before adding detail to cookies.
10. Allow cookies to dry completely.

Instructions with pictures

Beat 1 c sugar and 1 c butter.

Add 1 egg, 3/4 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp almond extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk 3 c flour, 2 tsp baking powder.  

Add flour to butter mixture. Mix until just combined.

Take out dough and knead dough on a floured surface to get a nice smooth dough.

Roll out dough with rolling pin.  

With every roll, turn your dough clockwise to 

prevent it from sticking to the counter.

Use desired cookie cutters to cut out dough, set 

cookie cut-outs on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Store baking sheet in freezer for 5 minutes before baking.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Cool on sheet for 10 minutes, cool completely on cooling rack.

I just LOVE the height on these sugar cookies.

Royal Icing

Beat 4 Tbsp meringue powder and scant 1/2 c water (almost to top of rim) until foamy.

Slowly add sifted (very important) 2 c powdered sugar and 1 tsp corn syrup.

Beat on med/high until stiff peaks just start to form, don't overmix.
Add desired food coloring to icing.

Decorate away!