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Halloween Sugar Cookies That Hold Their Shape

Close-up of Halloween sugar cookies decorated with white icing and black spiderwebs.
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Learn to make classic Halloween sugar cookies that keep their cut-out shapes and decorate them with beginner-friendly royal icing for spooky designs. This recipe includes tips for chilling the dough, achieving the right icing consistency, and storing your decorated cookies.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the Royal Icing:
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
  • Food coloring (black, orange, green, white)

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm. This chilling step is crucial for cookies that hold their shape.
  6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out desired Halloween shapes using cookie cutters.
  8. Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them.
  9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers should still look soft.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. While the cookies cool, prepare the royal icing. In a bowl, combine powdered sugar and meringue powder. Gradually add water, mixing until smooth and stiff peaks form. If the icing is too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
  12. Divide the icing into bowls and tint with food coloring as desired. Keep the icing covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
  13. For outlining, use a thicker consistency icing in a piping bag with a fine tip. For flooding, thin the icing slightly with water until it reaches a floodable consistency.
  14. Outline your cookies with the thicker icing, then fill in the centers with the flood icing. Use a toothpick to spread the icing evenly and pop any air bubbles.
  15. Let the decorated cookies dry completely, which can take several hours or overnight, depending on humidity and icing thickness.
  16. Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • For cookies that hold their shape, ensure your butter is softened but not melted. Overmixing the dough can also cause spreading.
  • If your dough becomes too soft while cutting out cookies, return it to the refrigerator for a few minutes.
  • For vibrant colors without bleeding, ensure your flood icing is fully dry before adding details with a different color.
  • You can make the cookie dough and royal icing a day in advance. Store the dough tightly wrapped in the refrigerator and the icing in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • Estimate calories per cookie: A plain sugar cookie of this size is roughly 150-200 calories, with added calories from icing depending on the amount used.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://recipestokeep.com/halloween-sugar-cookies-keeper-tips/