Halloween Sugar Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Beat the sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Turn the mixer to low, add the flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated.
• Remove the dough from the mixer and divide into 4 equal pieces. Add 1 piece back into the mixer. Turn the mixer to low speed and color the dough with the purple gel food coloring, about 4 drops, until completely incorporated. Wipe the bowl and the paddle clean and repeat with the remaining 3 pieces, coloring one neon green, one black and one orange.
• Starting with the purple dough, tear half of it into teaspoon-size pieces and scatter them on top of a piece of parchment. Repeat with the remaining colors, tearing half of each color into teaspoon-size pieces and filling in all the spaces so that you have an oval shape with barely any of the parchment showing underneath. Top with another piece of parchment and use a rolling pin to roll the colors together until it is one big piece of dough about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate both parchment-covered pieces of dough until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Remove the top piece of parchment from one piece of dough and cut out circles with a 2-inch circle cookie cutter. Place on one of the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Repeat with the other piece of dough and baking sheet. Bake until the edges are just starting to turn golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Spread a small amount of frosting onto the edge of the cookies and roll them in the orange and black sanding sugar until completely coated.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat 1 cup shortening, sugar, egg and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, scraping sides of bowl if necessary. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and cream of tartar. Mix on low speed until well mixed. Add 2 tablespoons of the original almond milk and beat until smooth.
• Form into 1 1/4 inch balls, using rounded tablespoonfuls of dough. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Spray flat bottom of measuring cup or drinking glass with cooking spray; dip in sugar. Press each cookie flat, dipping into sugar every other time.
• If desired, lightly brush tops of cookies with remaining almondmilk and sprinkle with colored decorator sugar or sprinkles or leave plain and frost when cooled.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Remove to cooling racks.
• In a large bowl, beat powdered sugar, 3/4 cup shortening, vanilla and 3 tablespoons of the vanilla almondmilk with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, adding almondmilk for desired spreading consistency. Tint as desired with food coloring. Frost and decorate cookies as you like.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Shape dough into 2 portions. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. Halloween-shaped cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, shortening and enough water to reach spreading consistency. Tint frosting and decorate as desired. Let stand until set.