Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to making cutout cookies that don't spread and lose their shape in the oven?

The secret is cold dough and chilling ! This recipe uses three crucial chilling steps. By keeping the butter in the dough as cold and as solid as possible at every stage of the process, you are guaranteeing that your cookies will hold their beautiful, sharp, and detailed shape when they hit the heat of the oven.

Q2: What is meringue powder, and is there a good substitute if I can't find it?

Meringue powder is a fantastic baking staple that is made from pasteurized, dried egg whites, with a little cornstarch and some stabilizers. It is the secret to a very easy, stable, and completely food-safe royal icing without the need for raw egg whites. You can find it in the baking aisle of most major grocery stores or craft stores.

Q3: Can I make these Halloween cookies ahead of time for a party?

Yes, these are a perfect make-ahead party treat! You can bake the cookies completely and store them, undecorated, in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also freeze the unbaked, cut-out cookie dough and bake them fresh on the day of your party. It is best to decorate the cookies on the day of, or the day before, your party for the freshest result.

Q4: What is the best and easiest way to decorate the cookies with the royal icing?

A simple, household zip-top plastic bag is a perfect substitute for a piping bag! Simply spoon your prepared icing into the bag, push it down into one of the bottom corners, and then use a pair of scissors to snip off a very, very tiny piece of the corner.

Q5: What is Dutch-process cocoa powder?

Q5: What is Dutch-process cocoa powder? Dutch-process cocoa powder has been treated with an alkali to neutralize its natural acidity. This is the secret that gives it a stunning, near-black color and a smoother, milder, and less bitter flavor than regular, natural cocoa powder, making it perfect for these dark and spooky cookies.

Chocolate Skeleton Cookies (Perfect for Halloween!)

A festive recipe for ‘Chocolate-Cinnamon Skeleton Cookies,’ perfect for a Halloween celebration. The base of this treat is a rich, dark, spiced cut-out cookie flavored with Dutch-process cocoa and ground cinnamon. The dough is chilled, rolled out, and cut into gingerbread man shapes. After baking, the dark-colored cookies provide the perfect canvas for decorating with a simple, white royal icing made with meringue powder. The icing is piped on to create the detailed design of a skeleton, including a skull and bones.

Author: Evelyn

Ingredients

For the Cookies:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon meringue powder
1 to 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

Make the Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until creamy.
On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
Divide the dough in half, pat each piece into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.
Cut and Bake the Cookies: Roll out each dough disk between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Refrigerate the rolled dough for 2 hours until very firm.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a 4 1/2-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out shapes from the chilled dough and arrange them 2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies.
Refrigerate the cut cookies on the pans for 15 minutes.
Bake for 15 minutes, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set but still soft. Let them cool on the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Icing and Decorate: Beat the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and water with a mixer on high speed until smooth and thick. Transfer the icing to a resealable plastic bag and snip off a tiny corner.
Pipe the outlines of skulls and bones onto the cooled cookies. To ‘flood’ the skull, thin some of the icing with a little water and fill in the outline, using a toothpick to spread it. Let the icing set for 30 minutes.

Notes

This is a classic cut-out cookie recipe that requires multiple, lengthy chilling steps. Chilling the dough is a crucial step to ensure the cookies hold their shape and don’t spread during baking.
The icing is a simple royal icing that uses meringue powder, which allows it to dry hard and is a safe alternative to raw egg whites.
The two-step decorating process of outlining and then ‘flooding’ with a thinned icing is a standard technique for creating detailed cookie designs.

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/chocolate-skeleton-cookies/