Halloween Skeleton Cookies

Halloween Skeleton Cookies are a fun and festive treat that are perfect for Halloween parties or just as a spooky snack. These cookies are shaped like skeletons and decorated with royal icing to give them a bone-chilling appearance. The cookie dough is typically flavored with vanilla or chocolate, and can be cut into a variety of shapes and sizes to create different skeleton poses. Whether you're a fan of Halloween or just looking for a fun and creative baking project, these Skeleton Cookies are sure to impress. So grab your cookie cutters and get ready to bring some spooky fun to your kitchen!

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoons almond flavoring
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk, plus more as needed
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup, or more as needed
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (1.5 ounce) tube black decorating gel

Directions

Step 1: Cream sugar and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and almond flavoring and mix well.

Step 2: Stir flour, baking powder, and salt together in a second bowl. Add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and mix to combine. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.

Step 3: Preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃).

Step 4: Dust a work surface with 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and roll out dough into a 1/4-inch-thick circle. Cut out figure shapes with a gingerbread man cookie cutter and arrange cut-out cookies on prepared baking sheets.

Step 5: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Step 6: Stir 1 cup confectioners' sugar and milk together in a small bowl until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract until icing is smooth and glossy. Add more corn syrup if icing is too thick.

Step 7: Spoon icing into a piping bag with a small plain tip. Draw a filled-out circle inside the head for the skull and a skeleton on the body, including 3 horizontal lines for the ribs. Let cookies stand until icing dries completely, about 2 hour, best overnight.

Step 8: Use black decorating gel to draw eyes, a nose, and a mouth on the skull and let cookies dry again, about 1 hour.