Skeleton Sugar Cookies
I have a friend named Marnie that LOVES Halloween. She even got married near October 31st so her wedding could have a tasteful Halloween theme. So, when I saw this cookie stamp at World Market, I just had to try it!
The stamp came with instructions that simply suggested finding a recipe that did not use baking powder. The reason being that you don't want the cookies to rise and thereby lose the stamped image.
I thought, "How easy. No baking powder. Easy enough!"
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| Roll a walnut sized ball of dough and press the dough flat with the stamp. |
Here is a cookie stamped (before baking) using the first recipe I found. No baking powder! However, the minute they went into the hot oven, they spread and the image was totally lost.
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| Tasty but….. |
First batch……Fail!
The only reason these have a slight image is as they came out of the oven my husband pressed the stamp on them while still hot. (The first batch-totally blank)
They were good sugar cookies-chewy and sweet. Taste-success. Skeleton-Fail.
I decided to try again. I Googled cookie stamp recipes and chose this one.
The recipe is very simple:
1 c. butter
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. sifted flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with sugar. Add egg and blend in flour. Fashion into balls the size of walnuts. Flatten with cookie stamp or roll out with rolling pin to 1/3-inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until brown. Makes 4 dozen if a cookie stamp is used or 3 dozen if cut out with cookie cutter.
TIPS- I figured out it's best to have a little flour out. The stamp can get a little sticky causing it to stick to the dough and ruin a press. I would powder the stamp a little between cookies. Also, I learned to roll a ball of dough and place it directly on the cookie sheet (either ceramic so they won't stick or onto a baking sheet or parchment) and press it there. It is much easier than stamping on the counter and then trying to move it to the cookie sheet. They tear or stretch or rip. Better to stamp them right where they will stay!! Also, the recipe calls for 10 minutes baking time. Mine took almost 20!! Start with 10 and keep an eye on them till they are full baked.
Yay! Skeleton Cookies! Or as Lily Belle calls them "Scallywag cookies!"
As for taste-I'd say the first recipe tasted better but I took the second to work to celebrate October birthdays and I came home with an empty plate. So! I am calling this a Halloween success!! If you have a different recipe that would work-share in the comments!! I would love to try again!
