Halloween Gingerbread Cookies

After just one bite I have the feeling these will become a new Halloween tradition for you. Not only are they such a cute Halloween cookie, but they are an intensely delicious treat too (every time I make them I think I eat half the batch myself!).

They have an abundance of warm ginger (which can be toned down for little kids and cut in half if preferred), and the deeply flavored, thick molasses keeps them soft for days. And that crisp bright icing is the perfect contrast and finish.

Forget trick-or-treat candy—this is the new highlight of the season. And if you do have kids at home let them help decorate they'll have a blast! Decorate skeleton gingerbread Halloween cookies as part of a Halloween class party activity, family Halloween party treat, or take them to a Halloween party to make a seriously spooky impression.

Special Equipment Needed for Halloween Gingerbread Men

You'll need the kitchen standards here such as an electric mixer, rolling pin, cookie sheets, parchment paper, a kitchen scale or measuring cups. Then also:

• Black edible food marker: I tested two different brands and preferred the Wilton edible markers.
• A piping bag for the icing.
• Small plain round tip such as #3 or #4 size.
• Gingerbread cookie cutter.

Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread men are such a Christmas classic and it's about time I finally got around to sharing a recipe!

I've always loved gingerbread cookies but I'm not so much of a fan of the cracker-like ones so I made these to be a slightly softer cookie. If you do prefer a crispier cookie just roll the dough a bit thinner than listed and even bake a little longer if needed.

I made these cookies to be a little more mild on the molasses flavor so they'll still be kid friendly.

You'll that the dough was easy to work with and doesn't need a long time to chill.

These are so good and definitely a cookie that both young and old alike will love! Plus they're so fun to decorate, every holiday season you need to decorate at least one batch of cookies right?

My kids got my first test batch to decorate and I gave them tons of sprinkles to decorate and they were in Heaven!

And who doesn't love the scent of gingerbread cookies baking? It is Heavenly!

I hope these make it to your holiday cookie tray! The are such a delicious tradition and we all need a delicious, reliable gingerbread cookie recipe.

Iced Sugar Cookies

I have a confession. This is the very first time in my life I have made royal icing. It is the very first time in my life I've made iced sugar cookies. So please don't be too critical I've got a few things to learn about the tricks of icing.

The reason I haven't made icing and iced sugar cookies up until now because I've tasted iced sugar cookies before and I've always liked the frosted puffy version better. But, iced sugar cookies can be decorated far prettier and they make better gifts so I decided it was the perfect season to give them a try.

Made with Royal Icing, It's Easier Than You'd Think.

The icing really wasn't hard to make thanks to Annie's wonderful tutorial (from her blog - Annie's Eats). Before I reading that tutorial I didn't even know what flood icing was.

These cookies are so delicious and are also so fun to make. Some of you may know by know how I love art and I love food so these cookies are made for me. I loved how I got to make each cookie unique just as you will never find an identical snowflake.

I don't know why I was so harsh on iced sugar cookies in the past. They are basically a soft shortbread cookie with a sugary icing. How could that not be good?

They reminded me of how I want to re-create one of my favorite cookies from my childhood, those Keebler pink iced animal cookies with their delicious nutmeg flavor. These taste nothing like those, these are far better they were just a fun reminder for some reason.

Allow Enough Time to Make Them

They take a bit of time but you don't need to put as much time into them as I did. If you wanted to simply ice them with a solid color and maybe add some sprinkle then it would be faster than piping additional decorations among the tops.

Keep in mind these cookies aren't a batch that you can have made in 20 minutes, they take a bit of time but you don't need to put as much time into them as I did. If you wanted to simply ice them with a solid color and maybe add some sprinkle then it would be faster than piping additional decorations among the tops.

Either way I hope you have a chance to try these cookies soon. They are simply amazing with their delicate, buttery cookie flavor and that lightly crunchy shell from the icing. MMMM they are a cookie you're going to remember. Enjoy!