Jack-o’-Lanterns & Ghosts
Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday cookie-baking season for me. Ghosts and black cats, Jack-o’-lanterns and bug-eyed bats...all those spooky shapes need to be turned into sweet treats. I always prefer to tone down the “creepy” and pump up the deliciousness. So that’s what I did.
“Be afraid. Be very afraid.” quote from The Fly (1986 film)
Don’t worry...you don’t have to be afraid to eat my cookies...even the scary ones are tasty.
P.S. As far as pets go, when it comes to the cat vs. dog controversy, my sentiments lean toward the pooch. But when it comes to cookies, the cat wins...no contest. Cats are just about the perfect shape for a cookie. You gotta love those ears, those whiskers, those eyes!
Cookie specifics
I used two recipes to make these Halloween cookies because — depending on the shape — I wanted a dark and a light version.
Ultimate Chocolate Cutout Cookies. For the cat heads, jack-o’-lanterns and bats, I used the “Ultimate Chocolate Cutout Cookie” recipe. The taste is a chocolate-lover’s dream ... rich and chocolatey. The dark dough makes for a perfect Halloween canvas. I covered the chocolate cookies with yummy semi-sweet modeling chocolate before adding the embellishments.
Lofthouse-Style Sugar Cookies. The full-body cats and the ghosts are made with a vanilla-flavored Lofthouse-style sugar cookie recipe. It produces a soft and chewy cookie that’s perfect for cutting out any shape, even the most delicate ones. I also decorated them with a thick vanilla-bean glaze that dries hard enough to stack but keeps its shine and glass-like appearance.
Shapes
pumpkins, ghosts, cats heads, walking cats, bats
Sizes
Sizes range from 3 to 4 inches.
Chocolate Cookie Recipe from This Talented Cookie Artist
Ultimate Chocolate Cutout Cookies. Original recipe from Lila Loa.
My Own (Tweaked) Family Recipe
Lofthouse-Style Sugar Cookie. Recipe based on several basic sugar cookie recipes. My goal was to make a cookie full of flavor that would hold its shape for delicate cutouts but not end up hard as a rock. This is it!
Cookies
Lofthouse Style Sugar Cookies: flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar, confectioners’ sugar, butter, eggs, pure vanilla extract, salt
Chocolate Cookies: flour, cocoa, butter, sugar, vegetable shortening, egg, baking powder, pure vanilla extract, salt
Icing & Decorative Embellishments
Royal Icing: confectioners’ sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, pure vanilla extract or almond extract, cream of tartar, food coloring
Glaze: sugar, water, corn syrup, food coloring (optional), various extracts for flavoring (vanilla, almond, lemon, raspberry, etc.)
Sprinkles: Mini eyeballs for the cats and Jack-o-Lanterns
Chocolate “Dough” (modeling chocolate): corn syrup semi-sweet chocolate
Plate, Box or Bag?
Plate. I arranged these Halloween cookies on a plate and let everyone pick which shape they preferred.
Bags. I planned to mail several dozen cookies to family so I wrapped them individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This made it easy to pack the cookies without causing damage to the decorations.
Mailing. I mailed the bagged cookies to my family throughout the U.S. I always send them Priority Mail through the U.S. Post Office. I use the boxes provided by the Post Office and lots of bubble wrap. In almost all cases, the cookies arrive undamaged.
Bagged, boxed and almost ready to mail!
What I’ve learned...
These cookies were made with the best ingredients I could find and baked in a small batch of two dozen. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking and decorating if taste and texture are just so-so? Decorating the cookies takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who receive them appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
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