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Spooky Halloween Monster Sugar Cookies | Easy Royal Icing Recipe

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These spooky Halloween monster sugar cookies with royal icing are fun, forgiving, and perfect for parties. The buttery vanilla cookie is soft-centered with crisp edges, and the royal icing sets up perfectly for decorating with googly eyes and sprinkles.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 6–8 tablespoons warm water
  • Gel food coloring (neon colors recommended)
  • Edible googly eyes
  • Black decorating gel
  • Halloween-themed sprinkles
  • Piping bags and tips (size 2 and 3)

Instructions

  1. Make the cookie dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and beat on low until combined.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed. Stop as soon as the dough comes together. Don’t overmix.
  3. Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  5. Roll and cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut out monster shapes and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut again. You should get about 24 cookies.
  6. Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The edges should be lightly golden, but the centers should still look pale. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Make the royal icing: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 6 tablespoons of warm water and mix on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and whip for 5-7 minutes until thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks. Adjust consistency as needed.
  8. Divide and color: Separate the icing into small bowls. Add gel food coloring to each bowl and stir until even. For each color, reserve about ¼ cup for outlining (stiffer consistency) and thin the rest with a few drops of water for flooding.
  9. Outline the cookies: Fit a piping bag with a small round tip (size 2). Fill with stiff icing and outline the edges of each cookie. Let outlines dry for about 10 minutes.
  10. Flood the cookies: Switch to a larger tip (size 3) or snip a larger hole in a zip-top bag. Fill the outlined area with thinned icing. Use a toothpick to spread icing into corners and pop air bubbles.
  11. Add decorations: While the flood icing is still wet, press edible googly eyes into the icing. Add sprinkles around the edges. Use black decorating gel to draw mouths, scars, or stitches.
  12. Let the icing set: Allow cookies to dry at room temperature for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until icing is completely hard to the touch.

Notes

Don’t rush the drying process. Avoid refrigerating the cookies to set the icing; it can make the icing sticky. For best results, let the icing set at room temperature overnight. The dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months. Undecorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween cookies, monster cookies, sugar cookies, royal icing, spooky cookies, easy Halloween recipe, decorated cookies

Find it online: https://zorbmeal.com/spooky-halloween-monster-sugar-cookies-easy-royal-icing-recipe/