Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
- Black and white royal icing (store-bought or homemade)
- Silver edible glitter or dust, for decoration
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract; mix until combined.
- Gradually blend in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Use a Jack Skellington cookie cutter (or freehand a skeletal silhouette with arms raised) to cut shapes. Transfer to baking sheets, 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until edges are just golden. Cool on pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Once fully cooled, pipe black royal icing outlines and flood centers. Let dry 1–2 hours.
- Add fine white icing details for Jack’s signature wide smile, fingers, and mustache. Lightly dust with silver edible glitter.
Notes
- For crisp edges, re-roll scraps only once; dough can become tough with overwork.
- Prepare royal icing 1–2 days ahead to reduce drying time; keep covered with damp cloth while piping.
- To save time, use store-bought sugar cookie dough, but chill for 15 minutes before cutting for best shape retention.
- For a firmer base, add 1 tbsp cornstarch to the dry ingredients.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 Kcal
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
