Prep Time: 30 mins Additional Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Servings: 12 Yield: 1 9×13-inch cake
This Memorial Day, my daughter renamed this ice cream sandwich cake “The Best Dessert I’ve Ever Eaten.” I had previously prepared it, but my husband consumed it all before she could taste it! When I bring this desert to a large gathering, my husband doesn’t like it because he won’t have any leftovers!
1 (12 ounce) jar hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1 (12 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping
¼ cup chopped pecans, or to taste
Directions
1. Arrange a layer of ice cream sandwiches in the bottom of a 9×13-inch dish; top with a layer of whipped topping, hot fudge topping, and caramel topping. Repeat layering with remaining ice cream sandwiches, whipped topping, hot fudge topping, and caramel topping, ending with a top layer of whipped topping. Sprinkle with pecans.
2. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and freeze until set, about 30 minutes.
You won’t be able to take your hands off these creepy shortbread cookies – even dipping them in raspberry jam will make them look like a bunch of torn fingers!
Level: Easy Total: 2 hr Active: 20 min Yield: 28 finger cookies
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
28 large sliced almonds
1/2 cup raspberry jam
Directions:
1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray or line with a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until a dough forms.
4. Using about1 1/2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough between your palms into 5-inch-long fingers about 1/2-inch thick. Firmly press a sliced almond into the end of each finger to make fingernails. Make several horizontal cuts, about 1/4 inch deep and 1/2 inch long, in the center of each finger to make knuckles. Press the dough on either side of the cuts to shape the knuckles. Arrange the fingers on the prepared baking sheet and bake until light golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer the fingers to a wire rack and cool completely.
5. In a small saucepan, heat the jam over low heat until warm, about 2 minutes. Dip the blunt ends of the fingers in the warm jam and arrange on a platter.
These little jack-o’-lanterns are as cute as they are tasty. Placed on a chocolate wafer for crunch, these soft marshmallows can be made several days ahead of your Halloween party. But they’re so irresistible, you’ll need to hide them.
Before You Start:
We made ours with vanilla, but you could take this a step further by giving your marshmallows a different flavor, like orange, lemon or even chocolate. Making marshmallows is so much easier than many people think — but be extra careful when handling the hot syrup as it can cause serious burns. Store your finished treats in an airtight container for up to one week.
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
powdered food coloring
3 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla or extract of your choice
orange sanding sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream
24 chocolate wafers
Instructions
1. Sift together powdered sugar and powdered food color. Whisk to combine well.
2. Oil a 9x13x2 pan and dust with powdered sugar on the bottom and sides. Set aside.
3. Pour 1/2 cup of the water in the bowl of a mixer then sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let stand to soften.
4. In a medium saucepan, add the remaining water, sugar, corn syrup and salt. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely dissolved.
5. Turn heat to medium-low to medium and bring to a boil. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture reaches 240 degrees F (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer (10-12 minutes).
6. Remove from the heat and pour over the gelatin. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.
7. With the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high speed until white, thick and more than double its original volume (6-8 minutes).
8. In a separate bowl beat egg whites to stiff peaks (Image 1).
9. Add egg whites, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of powdered food color to marshmallow mixture and beat just long enough to incorporate (Image 2).
10. Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth out as evenly as possible (Image 1).
11. Sift powdered sugar generously over the top of the marshmallow and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before proceeding (Image 2).
12. Use a knife to loosen marshmallow from edges of the pan.
13. Apply a small amount of cooking oil to a 2″ circle cookie cutter. Cut as many circles as possible from the sheet of marshmallow.
14. Using an offset spatula lift the marshmallow from the pan and slide the spatula underneath to release each of the rounds.
15. When the pan is empty, place the remaining powdered sugar back in the pan and toss the marshmallow rounds to coat all sides completely.
16. Place a quarter cup of orange sanding sugar in a plastic container with a snug-fitting lid.
17. Using a spray bottle, mist a marshmallow round on the smoothest flat surface and the sides.
18. Place the marshmallow round in the plastic container and shake to coat with sanding sugar.
19. Remove from the sugar and set aside.
20. When you have completed coating all of the rounds with sugar, pour heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until it just begins to boil.
21. Add chocolate chips and swirl pan just a bit to even out layer and coat all chips. Let rest without stirring for 5 minutes.
22. Whisk chocolate chips and cream together until smooth.
23. Pour warm chocolate into piping bag fitted with a fine-point tip.
24. Use the chocolate to make triangles for the eyes and then a zigzag mouth. Fill in the mouth with chocolate (Image 1).
25. Pipe chocolate on the top side of a chocolate wafer and then place a marshmallow round in the center (Image 2).
These adorable white-chocolate “wrapped” mummies are a great addition to your Halloween treat lineup. Flavored with peanut butter and butterscotch, the potato sticks give them just the right amount of salty flavor and crunch.
Before You Start:
White chocolate melts differently than regular chocolate; it takes very little heat to get it to the desired consistency.
Ingredients
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 cups shoestring potatoes
2 cups white chocolate chips
30 mini chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Add about 1 inch of water to a medium saucepan. Top the pan with a heatproof bowl making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not sit directly in the water.
2. Add butterscotch chips and peanut butter to the bowl and heat over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until completely melted and combined then remove bowl from heat.
3. Add shoestring potatoes to the butterscotch mixture and stir to coat completely. Cool for 3 minutes.
4. Place a piece of parchment paper on the back of a baking sheet.
5. Using a medium cookie scoop, measure out scoops of the haystack mixture packing it in quite firmly against the side of the bowl and leveling off the top with a butter knife or offset spatula before pressing the scoop flat on the baking sheet and releasing the contents.
6. Allow haystacks to cool and harden in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
7. Place hardened haystacks on a wire rack and place the wire rack on a baking sheet.
8. Fill a clean heatproof bowl with white chocolate chips then place the bowl over a small amount of water in a medium saucepan.
9. Heat the water on LOW heat and whisk the melted chocolate until smooth.
10. Remove from heat and cool for just a minute or two.
11. Place the melted white chocolate in a piping bag fitted with a long skinny icing tip like those used for flower petals.
12. At two thirds of the haystack mound begin coating with chocolate in a ribbon effect overlapping with each pass.
13. Start again at two-thirds but make the first pass a bit rounded to leave room for the eyes. Continue until the top of the mound is covered.
14. After all of the mounds are “wrapped” in chocolate, use a toothpick to place a white-chocolate dot for each of the eyes in the spaces you left. Insert a mini chocolate chip upside down on each dot of white chocolate while it is still soft (Images 1 and 2).
15. Place in refrigerator to cool completely before trimming away any excess chocolate around the bottom of the treats. Display stacked on a plate or slide each haystack into a cellophane bag to hand out as party favors (Image 3).
A plate of these wicked witch sandwich cookies will be a point of pride for little trick-or-treaters and a yummy bite for adult guests.
Yield: 20 sandwiches
Ingredients
For the cookies:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 ounce unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
For the frosting:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon orange food coloring
For assembly:
1 small sandwich bag
20 chocolate kiss candies
For the Cookies
1. Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and baking soda in a food processor and pulse several times to mix thoroughly.
2. Cut butter into small chunks and add to the flour mix. Pulse several times.
3. Combine milk and vanilla in a small cup. With the processor running, add the milk mixture and continue to process until the mixture clumps around the blade or the sides of the bowl.
4. Form the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in parchment paper and refrigerate for one hour or until firm.
5. Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, then preheat to 350 degrees F.
6. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper and nonstick spray. Cut the log of dough into slices 1/4-inch thick and place one inch apart on the pans to account for spread.
7. Bake, rotating the baking sheet from top to bottom and back to front about halfway through baking, for a total of 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies will puff up and deflate; they are done about 1 1/2 minutes after they deflate.
8. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on racks, or slide the parchment onto racks to cool completely.
Note: The cookies may be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 2 months.
Makes 50 to 60 1 3/4-inch wafers
For the Frosting
1. Fit a mixer with the whisk attachment. On a low speed, whip sugar and butter. Once the ingredients are blended, increase speed and whip for one minute.
2. Add vanilla, cream and enough food coloring to make the frosting bright orange.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use for up to 2 weeks.
Note: If frosting is too thick, add more cream. If frosting is too thin, add more sugar. If frosting is lumpy, fit mixer with paddle attachment to break up lumps.
Assembly
1. Place roughly half of the frosting in a small sandwich bag, pushing the frosting to one lower corner. Cut a small hole in the corner to create your own piping bag.
2. Arrange 20 wafers on a lined sheet tray for easy handling and moving.
3. Pipe orange frosting into the center of a wafer, place another on top and gently push them together.
4. Pipe a small amount of frosting on the bottom of a chocolate kiss and place in the center of the sandwich. Press the candy until the frosting appears, making a small ring of orange around the kiss.
5. Pipe frosting around the edges of the wafer, making a brim for the witch’s hat.
6. Place cookies in the fridge to firm up frosting.
Quick + Easy Way
Ingredients:
40 chocolate wafers
1 can white frosting
20 chocolate kiss candies
1 bottle orange food coloring
1 small sandwich bag
Instructions:
1. Add several drops of orange food coloring to frosting can and stir until completely blended. Adjust coloring as needed for a bright orange hue.
2. Place roughly half of the frosting in a small sandwich bag, pushing the frosting to one lower corner. Cut a small hole in the corner to create your own piping bag.
3. Arrange 20 wafers on a lined sheet tray for easy handling and moving.
4. Pipe orange frosting into the center of a wafer, place another on top and gently push them together.
5. Pipe a small amount of frosting on the bottom of a chocolate kiss and place in the center of the sandwich. Press the candy until the frosting appears, making a small ring of orange around the kiss.
6. Pipe frosting around the edges of the wafer, making a brim for the witch’s hat.
7. Place cookies in the fridge to firm up frosting.
Make a dessert that’s simply spooktacular with these cute Halloween sugar cookies. Made using our tasty roll-out sugar cookie recipe and decorated with cookie icing, these easy Halloween cookies are just as fun to make as they are to eat!
Looking for a Halloween dessert that’s no trick, all treat? These easy Halloween cookies are for you! Learn how to make Halloween cookies using our tasty roll-out sugar cookie recipe, then decorate your cookies with black and orange cookie icing for a dessert that’s great for beginners of all ages.
What makes these cookies so fun and easy is that they are decorated with Wilton Cookie Icing, which you can get in a variety of colors. This icing comes in a bottle, so there’s no need for a piping tip and bag. It can also be warmed up in the microwave, which makes it much easier to use.
While it doesn’t dry hard like royal icing, it will set smooth for a nice finish. Plus, it doesn’t need a full 24 hours to dry! This icing should be set and ready to go in just about 1 hour.
How to use Cookie Icing
Wilton cookie icing is quick-setting and microwavable for easy decorating. Simply heat the bottle and squeeze! The cap is designed to act like a tip, so it’s easy to outline and flood your cookies.
Unlike royal icing, which could take up to a day to dry fully, cookie icing sets smooth in about 1 hour. While it won’t dry completely hard like royal icing, it will set smooth for a clean finish.
How do you decorate Halloween cookies
Follow the microwave instructions on the cookie icing bottle to warm up your icing. This will make it much easier to pipe on your cookies.
I’m going to walk you through how to decorate the cookies shown here, but feel free to add your own fun decorations, too! Try all our fun cookie icing colors, or let the kids experiment with different Halloween sprinkles. There’s no wrong way to decorate these Halloween treats!
If you have the Cookie Decorating Tool Set, you can use the scribe tool to help coax the icing towards the edge of the cookies, as well as create fun web designs. However, a toothpick will work just as well!
Black Pumpkin Cookies:
Using the warm black cookie icing, fill in the pumpkin-shaped cookie. Immediately top with desired sprinkles.
Orange Pumpkin Cookies:
Using the warm orange cookie icing, fill in the pumpkin-shaped cookie. Let it set slightly, about 15 minutes. Using the warm black cookie icing, pipe the eyes, nose and mouth.
Orange Web Cookies:
Using the warm orange cookie icing, fill in the web-shaped cookie. Using the warm black cookie icing, immediately pipe 4 circles, starting at outer edge and working towards the center.
Using the scribe tool or a toothpick, drag the wet icing from the center of the cookie to the pointed edge of the web.
Continue the line on the opposite side, starting in the center and dragging icing to pointed edge. Be sure to wipe off the icing after each drag!
Repeat around the entire cookie for a total of 8 lines.
Black Web Cookies:
Using the warm black cookie icing, fill in the web-shaped cookie. Immediately top icing with black sanding sugar. Let the icing set slightly, about 15 minutes.
Using the warm orange cookie icing, pipe lines, starting with straight horizontal and vertical lines (you’ll pipe a + shape), then piping diagonal lines (the x shape).
Connect the straight lines with small curved lines, forming a web shape.
Orange Spider Cookies:
Using the warm orange cookie icing, pipe the center of the spider cookie. Immediately top with candy eyeballs and nonpareils.
Using the warm black cookie icing, pipe lines on the legs.
Black Spider Cookies:
These cookies can get a little messy, so we suggest placing your cookies on a cooling grid over a sheet of parchment paper.
Using the warm black cookie icing, pipe the center of the spider cookie, allowing the icing to drip down the sides. Immediately top with candy eyeballs.
Using the warm black and orange cookie icings, pipe lines on the legs of the spider, alternating colors. You can gently shake the cookie to help the icing slide off the sides.
Once you’re done decorating, let all your cookies set for about 1 hour at room temperature.
How to store your Halloween cookies
These cookies can be kept at room temperature for about a week. Since the cookie icing doesn’t dry hard, we don’t recommend stacking these, but you can arrange them in a single layer on a plate or in an air-tight container.
You can also use this same 7-piece Halloween cookie cutter set to make these Pastel Halloween Cookies, great for a spooky soiree or bewitching baby shower.
Decorated with our Ready-to-Use Royal Icing, these treats dry hard and are perfect for gifting as party favors or handing out to neighbors and friends.
EQUIPMENT
Rolling Pin
Ruler
7-Piece Halloween Cookie Cutter Set
Cookie Sheet
Cooling Rack
Cookie Decorating Tool Set*
Parchment Paper
INGREDIENTS
Roll-Out Cookie Dough Recipe:
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Butter 2 Sticks, Softened
1 Egg
2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoon Almond Extract
3 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Salt
For Decorating:
Orange Cookie Icing
Black Cookie Icing
Assorted Candy Eyeballs
Halloween Sprinkles
INSTRUCTIONS
How to Make Halloween Cookies
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a stand mixer or hand mixer until it’s light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and extracts.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, 1 cup at at ime. This will prevent flour from poofing up all over your kitchen!
Once everything has come together, divide the dough into 2 balls and set one aside (no need to refrigerate it, we’ll use both portions for this recipe).
On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to rollout one portion of the dough to 1/8 in. thickness.
Using the 7-Piece Halloween Cookie Cutter Set, cut out your cookies. We used the spider, spider web and pumpkin shapes, but feel free to use whatever shapes you’d like!
To prevent your dough from sticking to your cookie cutters, dip them in flour first. This will also help the cookies keep their shape in the oven.
Next, repeat step 4 and 5 with the portion of dough that you set aside.
Bake your cookies on an ungreased baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned.
Make sure they’re completely cool before decorating.
