Skeleton Cookies with Royal Icing
Fun and festive Skeleton Cookies decorated with colorful royal icing, perfect for Halloween celebrations.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 120 minutes
- Yield: 12-18 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 egg whites or 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
- Food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing well. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until combined.
- Chill the dough: Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll and cut: On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about ¼-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out skeleton shapes and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Allow cooling on a wire rack.
- Prepare royal icing: In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and gradually add powdered sugar until thick and shiny. Divide into small bowls and add food coloring as desired.
- Decorate: Once the cookies are cool, use piping bags to outline and fill in the skeleton features. Let the icing dry before adding any additional details.
Notes
Chill the dough to prevent spreading and use parchment paper for easy baking.