Description
These charming Jack Skellington Cookies are perfect for Halloween or any spooky occasion. Soft and flavorful sugar cookies are baked to golden perfection and decorated with royal icing to capture the iconic skeletal face of Jack Skellington from ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.’ With a tender crumb and sweet, smooth icing, these cookies are as fun to make as they are to eat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
Royal Icing
- 4 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Black gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Cream Butter Mixture: Using a standing mixer, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and egg until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar thoroughly.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, mixing on low speed to incorporate evenly.
- Form Dough: Use your hands to mix and knead the dough in the bowl until fully combined and consistent.
- Knead Dough: Lightly flour a clean cutting board and knead the dough a few times to form a smooth ball.
- Roll Dough: Roll out the dough to approximately 1/2 inch thickness using a rolling pin.
- Cut Shapes: Cut out 12 circle shapes from the dough and place them spaced evenly on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Repeat: Continue rolling and cutting the remaining dough until all cookies are shaped and baked.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
- Prepare Royal Icing: Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until frothy. Gradually add powdered sugar while mixing until stiff peaks form. Tint a portion of the icing black using gel food coloring for Jack Skellington’s face details.
- Decorate: Use white royal icing to cover each cooled cookie and pipe on Jack Skellington’s facial features using the black tinted icing. Allow the icing to set completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier creaming.
- Use parchment paper to prevent cookies from sticking and ensure even baking.
- Egg whites used in royal icing should be fresh or pasteurized for food safety.
- Gel food coloring is preferred over liquid to avoid thinning the icing.
- Allow icing to fully dry before stacking or packaging cookies to prevent smudging.