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Halloween Chocolate Cookies Recipe

★★★★★

4.6 from 103 reviews
  • Author: Elara
  • Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes (including chilling and decorating time)
  • Yield: Approximately 24-30 cookies depending on cutter size and thickness 1x

Description

These Halloween Chocolate Cookies are rich, cocoa-infused treats perfect for the spooky season. Soft yet sturdy enough to hold detailed icing decorations, they are rolled, cut into fun Halloween shapes, baked to perfection, and then decorated with colorful royal or glaze icing for a festive touch.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (or dutch process cocoa powder), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Decoration

  • Royal Icing or Easy Cookie Icing
  • Optional: gel food coloring for tinting icings

Instructions

  1. Make the cookie dough: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
  2. Combine dry and wet ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough should be soft. If too sticky for rolling, add an extra tablespoon of flour.
  3. Roll the dough: Divide dough into two equal parts. Dust two large sheets of parchment paper or silicone mats with cocoa powder or flour. Place one half of dough on each and roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness, dusting rolling pin and surface as needed to prevent sticking.
  4. Chill the dough: Lightly dust one rolled dough with cocoa powder or flour, place parchment paper over it, then stack the second rolled dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or up to 2 days.
  5. Preheat oven and cut cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Remove dough from fridge, carefully peel top dough, and use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to cut shapes. Re-roll scraps as needed and cut more shapes. Keep dough cool by refrigerating between cutting if it becomes too soft.
  6. Bake and cool: Place cookies 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 11-12 minutes or until edges are set. Rotate pans halfway if your oven heats unevenly. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.
  7. Make icing: Prepare royal or easy cookie icing. Divide into bowls and tint with gel food coloring as desired, starting with 1-2 drops and adding more until desired color is achieved.
  8. Decorate the cookies: Fill piping bags fitted with Wilton #4 tips with icing. Pipe borders then fill centers with a thin icing layer for quicker drying. Add sprinkles before icing sets if desired. Add details like Jack-O-Lantern faces using royal icing and allow layers to set as needed. Adjust icing thickness by adding confectioners’ sugar if needed for finer details.
  9. Let icing dry and set: Allow royal icing to dry for about 2 hours or easy glaze icing for 24 hours without covering. Placing cookies in refrigerator can speed up setting.
  10. Serve or store: Enjoy immediately or wait for icing to set. Decorated or plain cookies stay soft for 5 days at room temperature if tightly covered or up to 10 days refrigerated.

Notes

  • Use either natural or Dutch process cocoa powder; adjust rolling dusting accordingly.
  • If dough becomes sticky while cutting, chill for 10 minutes to firm up.
  • Royal icing works best for detailed, layered decorations, while easy cookie icing is fine for simpler designs.
  • Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors; colors darken as icing dries.
  • Store cookies tightly covered to maintain softness.
  • Re-roll dough scraps several times to maximize number of cookies.
  • For pumpkin Jack-O-Lanterns, allow orange icing to fully set before adding green details with royal icing.
  • When adding candy eyes, attach with a tiny dot of icing for best adhesion.
  • Always work quickly to prevent dough from warming and becoming difficult to handle.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes per batch
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Halloween cookies, chocolate cookies, decorated cookies, royal icing, festive cookies, Halloween treats, cocoa cookies, holiday baking

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Find it online: https://kitchenflavorspot.com/halloween-chocolate-cookies-recipe/