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Perfectly Decorated Halloween Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Halloween sugar cookies with royal icing - featured image
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Buttery, sturdy sugar cookies decorated with royal icing in Halloween shapes. Perfect for parties, bake sales, or gifting, these cookies are forgiving to decorate and stay fresh for over a week.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 6–8 tablespoons warm water
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Gel food coloring

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy—about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides halfway through.
  3. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). Beat on low until just combined. The mixture might look slightly curdled—that’s okay.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed. Stop as soon as the dough comes together. Overmixing will make the cookies tough.
  5. Divide the dough into two equal discs, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days). Chilling is mandatory—warm dough spreads like a puddle.
  6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
  7. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll one disc of dough to ¼-inch thickness. Use a bench scraper to lift the dough occasionally to prevent sticking.
  8. Cut out your shapes using Halloween cookie cutters. If the dough gets too soft to transfer cleanly, pop the cut shapes in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
  9. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8–10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The edges should be just barely golden—the centers will look pale and slightly puffed.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Do not ice warm cookies—the icing will slide right off.
  11. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, meringue powder, and cream of tartar. Whisk briefly to combine.
  12. Add 6 tablespoons of warm water. Beat on low speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. The icing should be thick and glossy, with stiff peaks that hold their shape.
  13. For flooding consistency (the thinner icing used to fill in shapes), add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the icing ribbons off the spoon and smooths out within 10 seconds.
  14. Divide the icing into separate bowls and tint with gel food coloring. I usually make orange for pumpkins, black for bats and cat silhouettes, and white for ghosts. Cover the bowls with a damp paper towel to prevent the icing from drying out.
  15. Fit a piping bag with a #2 tip and fill it with outlining-consistency icing. Outline each cookie shape. Let the outlines dry for 10 minutes—this creates a dam that holds the flood icing inside.
  16. Switch to a #3 tip or a tipless bag for flooding. Gently squeeze the icing inside the outlines, using a toothpick or scribe tool to spread it into corners and pop any air bubbles.
  17. While the flood icing is still wet, add details like black dots for ghost eyes or orange stripes on pumpkins. Use a contrasting color and a #1 tip for fine lines.
  18. Let the decorated cookies dry at room temperature for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Patience here is everything—rushing leads to smudged designs and sticky cookies.

Notes

Chill dough thoroughly to prevent spreading. Test icing consistency before flooding. Keep unused icing covered with a damp towel. Plan designs ahead of time. For best results, let decorated cookies dry overnight.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween sugar cookies, royal icing cookies, decorated cookies, Halloween baking, sugar cookie recipe, royal icing recipe

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