A family cookie recipe all spooked up for Hallowe'en
A great way to keep little minds entertained and super-delicious as gifts, use the recipe for any celebration.
Ingredients:
- 250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened
- 250g/9oz caster sugar
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 500g/1lb 2oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Cookie cutters (ours were an Amazon special at £4.99. Loved the bat, pumpkin, cat and witches hat. The spider and skull and cross bones were a bit fiddly even for little fingers)
- Writing icing tubes (ours were from Cake Decor and I would recommend this or similar for intricate line drawings
- Royal Icing for the ghosts (we cheated and bought a tub from Tesco)
Method:
Beat together the butter and sugar, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Add a spoonful of the flour to rescue any potential curdling.
Sift together the flour and baking powder and stir into the butter mixture. Work the dough using floured hands. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead into a ball. Slice into two, wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/. Line your baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm/¼in thick. Cut shapes out.
Pop the cookies onto the baking tray, leaving a gap between them in case they spread.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, cool on a wire rack.
Decorate!
