Halloween Sugar Cookies

When it comes to decorating cookies, I am no artist. However, in the last year, I’ve been learning how to decorate and work with royal icing. It started last year when I made my first batch of Halloween sugar cookies. I didn’t realize how long the icing would take to set and I was impatient about photographing my first royal icing experience. Right after I snapped this photo, I moved the cookies over to a plate and brought them back to the kitchen. On the way to the kitchen, they slid right off and onto the floor. The icing was not set and it got everywhere! So the one lesson I learned in all of this is to have patience when working with royal icing.

This year, I wanted to perfect the consistency of the royal icing and do better with decorating. I love how the ghosts came out, but I still need to work on the pumpkins. I think I have the ovals in the middle going in the wrong direction; they should be wide not moving inward. When I was pulling out the cookie cutters, the gingerbread person made its way onto the counter, so I thought I’d give zombie cookies another shot.

Halloween Sugar Cookies

Halloween and Christmas are my two favorite holidays. Growing up Christmas was my favorite season (presents, duh). But lately, Halloween is slowly becoming the favorite holiday. Pumpkin carving is THE BEST fall activity. Trick or treating is fun, too. However, baking and decorating Halloween-themed desserts is my second favorite thing to do. I’m a creative person who loves processes. I think that’s why I love (yes, present tense) Legos and baking. They’re my outlets to express my creativity.

Back to the cookies. I need some advice. How do you become more efficient with the icing and decorating? Since the icing is white, I did everything in that color (the ghosts) before separating it and dying orange and black. I used frosting for the murdered gingerbread people and the pumpkin stems. However, without more than two icing bottles, I don’t know how else I can clean the bottles and swap in another color. Any tips?

I just wanted to give you some inspiration for Halloween baking that may happen over the next week or so. Pumpkins (should have made them Jack-o-Lanterns), ghosts (with and without mouths; which way is cuter?), and zombie/murdered gingerbread people.

Happy Halloween!