Name: Spooky Pumpkin Sugar Cookies 🎃
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients: 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature); 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional); Orange and green royal icing for decorating; Black icing for facial details

Soft, buttery sugar cookies decorated like pumpkins are perfect for Halloween parties or just a fun baking day with kids. Plus, you can customize the faces however you like!

Quick Steps ✨

Mix the Dough: Beat butter and sugar, then add egg and extracts. Slowly mix in dry ingredients.

Chill the Dough: Form the dough into a disk, wrap it, and chill for 1 hour.

Shape and Bake: Roll out dough, cut pumpkin shapes, and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.

Cool and Decorate: Let cookies cool, then decorate with orange, green, and black royal icing.

Add the Faces: Get creative with spooky pumpkin faces and let the icing set before serving!

Step by Step Instructions 📝

1. Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until a soft dough forms.

2. Chill the Dough: Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight) to make it easier to roll out.

3. Roll and Cut: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Place them on a lined baking sheet.

4. Bake: Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.

5. Decorate: Once the cookies are cool, use orange icing to fill the pumpkins and green icing for the vines. Add black icing for spooky faces. Let the icing set before serving.

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Substitutions 🔄

Swap almond extract for more vanilla if you prefer.

Use food coloring in buttercream if you don’t have royal icing on hand.

You can add a teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the dough for a fall twist!

Useful Notes 📝

Chill Time Matters: Don’t skip chilling the dough—it makes the cookies easier to cut and helps them keep their shape during baking.

Royal Icing Tip: If you’re new to royal icing, use small piping bags for better control when outlining and flooding your cookies.

Nutritional Insights 🍎

Each serving contains the stated nutritional values:

🔥 Energy: 160 kcal

🥑 Fat: 8 g (of which saturates: 5 g)

🍞 Carbohydrates: 20 g (of which sugars: 10 g)

🌾 Fiber: 0 g

💪 Protein: 2 g

🧂 Salt: 0.1 g

A sweet treat that's worth the indulgence!

My Essential Kitchen Favorite 🥣

Leftover Advice ♻️

Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. If they soften, you can re-crisp them by placing them in a 300°F oven for a few minutes.

Hey I'm Sidney! 💖

I’m passionate about sharing easy, healthy recipes that fit seamlessly into your busy lifestyle. 🌟 My goal is to inspire you with fresh, nutritious, and delicious meals. 🥗