Chocolate Cinnamon Skeleton Cookies (Printable)
Rich, spiced chocolate cookies cut into skeleton shapes and decorated with royal icing. A fun Halloween dessert that's both spooky and delicious.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
07 - 1 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ Royal Icing
10 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 1 large egg white
12 - 2-3 tablespoons water
# Directions:
01 - Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
02 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Incorporate egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
03 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing just until dough forms. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies.
04 - Divide dough in half and flatten into disks. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes until firm.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
06 - Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut shapes using skeleton or gingerbread man cookie cutters.
07 - Transfer cutouts to prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until set. Cool completely on wire racks before decorating.
08 - Beat egg white with powdered sugar and water until smooth and pipeable. Adjust consistency with additional water if needed.
09 - Transfer icing to piping bag fitted with fine tip. Pipe skeleton designs onto cooled cookies. Allow icing to dry completely before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The chocolate cinnamon combo creates this sophisticated warmth that feels grownup but still playful
- Theyre surprisingly forgiving dough that holds intricate skeleton shapes beautifully
02 -
- Chilling the dough is nonnegotiable, warm dough will spread and youll lose those crisp skeleton edges
- The royal icing needs to be thick enough to hold details but thin enough to pipe smoothly, adjust with water one teaspoon at a time
03 -
- A rotating cake turntable makes piping intricate details so much easier on your wrists
- Keep a damp paper towel over your piping bag tip when not in use to prevent the icing from drying out and clogging