Ghost Sugar Cookies
Halloween is the perfect time to bring a little spooky charm to your kitchen, and these ghost sugar cookies are the sweetest way to do it.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric mixer
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters (ghost-shaped)
- Baking sheets
- Cooling racks
- Piping bags & tips
- Spatula
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract optional, but adds a nice depth!
For the Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 –3 tablespoons milk or more for desired consistency
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring white for ghosts, plus optional black or orange for faces
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
- Pro Tip: Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully incorporated.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until a smooth dough forms.
Step 2: Chill the Dough
- Divide the dough into two disks and wrap each in plastic wrap.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Pro Tip: Chilling makes the dough easier to roll and helps the cookies hold their shape while baking.
Step 3: Roll and Cut the Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk to about ¼-inch thickness.
- Use your ghost-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes and transfer them to a lined baking sheet using a spatula.
- Pro Tip: If the dough gets sticky, lightly flour the rolling pin and surface, or chill the dough a few more minutes.
Step 4: Bake the Cookies
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn golden.
- Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Pro Tip: Letting cookies cool slightly on the sheet prevents them from breaking while moving.
Step 5: Prepare the Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Adjust consistency: add more milk for thinner icing (for flooding) or more powdered sugar for thicker icing (for details).
- Divide icing into separate bowls if using multiple colors.
Step 6: Decorate the Ghost Cookies
- Fill a piping bag with white icing and outline each ghost cookie. Flood the inside with more white icing using a spatula or spoon tip.
- Let the base icing set for 15–20 minutes before adding faces.
- Use a small round tip or toothpick to pipe black icing eyes and mouths, creating cute ghost cookie designs.
- Pro Tip: Don’t rush the icing—letting each layer set ensures smooth, clean lines for your spooky cookies.
Notes
Nutritional Value per Cookie (without icing):
- Calories: ~120 kcal
- Fat: ~6 g
- Saturated Fat: ~3.5 g
- Carbohydrates: ~16 g
- Sugars: ~9 g
- Protein: ~1 g
- Fiber: 0–1 g