Ghost Halloween Cookies

Cooking with Kids

Each year I play “You Have Been Ghosted” with the children in my care. But, more and more kids are allergic to peanut butter so I didn’t want to risk getting friends sick by making my annual ghost cookies out of Nutter Butter cookies. Instead, I simply replaced Nutter Butter cookies with ghost-shaped sugar cookies the kids helped me bake this year.

Allow the kids to help measure, mix, roll the dough, and cut out cookies with you! Grab the flour and frosting, and make the day a little sweeter with some homemade treats! 

You Will Need:

2 cups white sugar
1 ½ cups butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Bag of Miniature Chocolate Chips
Ghost Cookie Cutter
Rolling Pin
Cookie Sheets
Bowls
Stand Mixer or Electric Beater

Royal Icing:

4 Tablespoons meringue powder
4 cups powdered sugar (about 1 pound)
6 Tablespoons warm water + additional 3-4 additional tablespoons for thinning to flood consistency
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stand Mixer
Piping Bag fitted with a Wilton #2 or #3 tip
Wooden Tooth Picks

What to Do for Cookies:

1. Beat sugar and softened butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

2. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll out dough to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness.

4. Cut into shapes with ghost cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely before decorating.

Making Royal Icing:

1. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the meringue powder and powdered sugar, then slowly mix in the water and vanilla extract while the mixer is running on medium-low speed. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form, around 5 minutes. This can be done with a hand mixer, but will take a couple minutes longer.

2. You can reserve some of the thicker icing for piping borders as described in the post, or thin all of the icing to flood consistency.

3. To thin icing to flood consistency, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time and stir well, continuing to add water by 1/2 teaspoon increments until you reach your desired consistency. If you are thinning the entire batch of icing at once to flood consistency, it will take an additional 3-4 tablespoons for a total of 9-10 tablespoons of water.

4. Once your icing is the right consistency, scoop it into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton #2 or #3 tip. Decorate your sugar cookies by first outlining the border, then filling in the middle with flood icing which should settle into itself. Use a toothpick or scribe tool to fill in any gaps by spreading the icing around, then tap the cookie on the counter a few times to help the icing settle into a smooth, even layer.

5. Add mini chocolate chips as eyes on the ghost cookies.

6. Dry cookies at room temperature for 6-8 hours until the royal icing is completely firm before adding additional layers or design or stacking for transport.

References:

Roll Out Cookie Recipe from All Recipes
Icing Recipe from houseofnasheats.com
Photo by Stephanie Felzenberg

As an Amazon Influencer, I earn on qualifying purchases.