These Jack O'Lantern cookies are super cute, aren't they? They're also easy to make!
I don't know why I've never thought of making these for Halloween when my kids were little. It's such a creative idea for celebrating a fun holiday!
Halloween is one of my favorites, but honestly, I've never been into the ghoulish aspect of it. I love anything pumpkin, enjoy making fun desserts, and love seeing the kids dressed up.
The blood and zombie stuff? Not so much. That's why I think these Jack O'Lantern Cookies are perfect for that neighborhood party or school event.
There's nothing scary about them, and they will bring smiles to all those little faces.
Jack O'Lantern Cookies
Makes 24
What You Need to Make Jack O'Lantern Cookies
You'll need all the ingredients on the recipe card below as well as Halloween sprinkles. There are so many choices when it comes to decorating! We love these new All Hallows sprinkles and these Halloween sprinkles. Every year there's something new!
You will also need a Candy Corn Cookie Cutter
You can totally switch out the vanilla for another extract like almond, orange, or chocolate. I used vanilla but have switched out extracts before and they turned out equally as delicious!
How to Make these Halloween Cookies
In a mixing bowl, cream the soft butter with the sugar until the combination is smooth (not grainy) to the touch
Add eggs. Continue to mix.
Add the vanilla. Continue mixing.
Sift the four, baking soda, and salt together.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture.
Continue mixing to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended.
Make the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling wrap completely covering the entire dough ball.
Put in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or overnight. Check to see if the dough is firm.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Pull the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and set it out to soften up a bit.
Put flour out on the cutting board, rub flour on the rolling pin. Work a little flour into the batter if it's too creamy.
Roll the dough out on the cutting board and using the cookie cutter begin to make your cookies.
Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Using a metal spatula move the cut cookies to the lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes. Check to see if the cookies are thoroughly baked.
Take the cookies off of the cookie sheet and put on a wire rack to cool completely before decorating the Jack O'Lantern cookies.
(About 10 minutes).
How to Make the Cookie Icing
Combine all ingredients (except your food coloring) in a mixing bowl, mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes.
If icing is not stiff enough add ¼ C powdered sugar.
Divide the icing into 4 equal bowls.
Add a few drops of orange to the first bowl.
To the second bowl of icing, add several drops of black gel food coloring. Stir to mix.
Add several drops of green to the third bowl.
The fourth bowl stays white.
Spoon each color of icing into individual frosting bags with #2 tips.
If you have never bought a decorating kit, do yourself a favor and stick to Wilton. You will end up wasting ten dollars here and twenty dollars there and before you know it you'll have a box full of broken mismatched pieces.
Twist the open end of the bag to push the icing to the tip.
Squeeze the majority of the white icing into a bowl then add 1 tsp of water to this icing and stir to mix the water and icing together.
Using the orange piping bag, pipe a orange line around half of the Jack O'Lantern cookie.
Fill in with the thin orange icing.
Add some green dots to the pumpkin on the corners.
Let dry for 2 hours.
Pipe on a face for the pumpkin.
Pipe a black line of icing around the edge of the top half of the cookie.
Add in a half-circle of white.
Add sprinkles
Let dry for another 4 hours before bagging or enjoying.
Jack O'Lantern Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 3 C flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 C soft unsalted butter
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 1 eggs
- Halloween sprinkles
- Cookie Cutter: candy corn
Icing Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- 2 C powder sugar
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- black gel food coloring
- orange gel food coloring
- green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Cream the soft butter with the sugar until the combination is smooth not grainy to the touch in a mixing bowl.
- Add eggs...Continue to mix.
- Add the vanilla.. Continue mixing.
- Sift the four, baking soda, and salt together.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture.
- Continue mixing to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended.
- Make the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling wrap completely covering the entire dough ball.
- Put in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure dough is firm.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Pull the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and sit it out to soften up a bit.
- Put flour out on the cutting board, rub flour on the rolling pin, and work some flour into the batter. (if needed).
- Roll the dough out on the cutting board and using the cookie cutter begin to make your cookies.
- Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a metal spatula move the cut cookies to the lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes. Check to see if the cookies are thoroughly baked.
- Take the cookies off of the cookie sheet and put on a wire rack to cool completely. (About 10 minutes).
- Icing Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes. (except your food coloring)
- If icing is not stiff enough add ¼ C powder sugar.
- Divide the icing into 4 equal bowls.
- Add in a few drops of orange to the first bowl of icing and mix.
- To the second bowl of icing, add several drops of black gel food coloring. Stir to mix.
- To the third bowl of icing, add several drops of green. Mix.
- The fourth bowl stays white.
- Spoon each color of icing into individual frosting bags with a #2 tips. Twist the open end of the bag to push the icing to the tip.
- Squeeze the majority of the white icing into a bowl then add 1 tsp of water to this icing and stir to mix the water and icing together.
- Using the orange piping bag, pipe a orange line around half of the candy corn shaped cookie.
- Fill in with the thin orange icing.
- Add some green dots to the pumpkin on the corners.
- Let dry for 2 hours.
- Pipe on a face for the pumpkin.
- Pipe a black line of icing around the edge of the top half of the cookie.
- Add in a half circle of white, sprinkle with some sprinkles.
- Let dry for another 4 hours before bagging or enjoying.
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