Cute Ghost Decorated Sugar Cookies
These ghost Halloween sugar cookies are a simple and sweet treat, made with buttery sugar cookie dough and white royal icing. Top with candy eyes for a fun and festive Halloween themed dessert!
Equipment
- ghost-shaped cookie cutter
- piping bag or piping bottle with small round tip optional, but helpful
- Sifter optional, but helpful
Ingredients
Cutout Cookie Base
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Royal Icing
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp meringue powder
- 9-10 Tbsp water
- candy eyes optional
- black gel food coloring optional
Instructions
Bake Ghost Sugar Cookies
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, then gradually add it to the wet ingredients. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour (definitely don't skip the chilling!).
- Once chilled, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick.
- Use a ghost-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden. Let cool completely before decorating.
Make Royal Icing and Decorate
- In a large bowl, sift together the powdered sugar, meringue powder. Then, add water until the icing is smooth and slightly thickened but still fluid. You’re aiming for a consistency that coats the back of a spoon and slowly runs off—not too thick, not too runny.
- You have two options for icing these cookies—both work great!
- Option 1: The Easy Way (Dipping): Dip each cookie face-down into the black icing. Lift it out, let the excess drip off, then flip and gently shake or tap to level the surface. Use a toothpick or scribe tool to pop any bubbles. This method is fast and great for batch decorating, though a bit messier.
- Option 2: The Pretty Way (Piping)Transfer the black icing to a piping bag or bottle with a small (like the one that looks too small to be true) tip and outline each cat, then flood the center with more icing.
- Whichever method you choose, use a toothpick to help fill in gaps and pop any air bubbles that form on the surface of your icing
- While the icing is still wet, add candy eyes if using. Or wait until white layer sets (at least 4 hours) and then color some royal icing black and pipe faces onto your cookies.
- Allow 6-8 hours for royal icing to fully set.