Description
These No-Spread Halloween Sugar Cookies are perfect for festive baking with kids or for a fun Halloween party. They hold their shape beautifully, requiring no spreading during baking, making them ideal for detailed spooky cookie cutters. Soft, buttery, and mildly sweet, they are delightful on their own or decorated with your favorite icing and spooky toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture turns light and fluffy, which incorporates air for a tender texture.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and optional almond extract until fully combined for enhanced flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening and seasoning.
- Make Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until a cohesive dough forms without any lumps.
- Roll Out Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to approximately ¼-inch thickness to ensure even baking and proper cookie shape.
- Cut Shapes: Use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to cut out spooky shapes like ghosts, pumpkins, and bats.
- Bake Cookies: Arrange the cutouts on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8–10 minutes or until the edges just turn golden brown, maintaining the cookie shapes perfectly.
- Cool and Decorate: Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating with icing, sprinkles, or edible eyeballs for a festive Halloween touch.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened but not melted for best creaming results.
- If you prefer a stronger almond flavor, you can increase the almond extract slightly, but be cautious as it is potent.
- Rolling dough between parchment paper can help prevent sticking and make transfer easier.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for longer preservation.
- Decorating options include royal icing, colored sugar, or candy eyes to enhance the Halloween theme.
