Description
Delight in these festive Day of the Dead Cookies, rich chocolate sugar cookies spiced with cinnamon and beautifully decorated with colorful icing and candies. Perfect for celebrating the holiday with a sweet and visually appealing treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling dough)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
Decorations
- Skittles, sprinkles, candy corn, M&Ms, cinnamon hearts, candy-coated sunflower seeds, licorice, or assorted candies
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until well combined. This forms the spiced chocolate base for the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar on medium speed for about 1 minute until pale and fluffy, creating a smooth and creamy mixture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, contributing to the dough’s moisture and flavor.
- Combine with Dry Mix: Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined, forming the cookie dough without overmixing to ensure tender cookies.
- Chill Dough: Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up the dough for easier rolling and cutting.
- Preheat and Roll: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to 1/8-inch thickness for delicate, crisp cookies.
- Cut Shapes: Use oval, egg, or skull-shaped cookie cutters to cut the dough into festive shapes. Place cookies 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets to allow for spreading.
- Chill Cut Cookies: Refrigerate the cut-out cookies on the baking sheet until firm, about 15 minutes. This helps maintain shape during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and set. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender yet firm.
- Cool: Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before decorating to ensure icing adheres properly.
- Prepare Icing: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Transfer the icing to a quart-size resealable plastic bag and snip off one corner to create a piping bag.
- Decorate: Outline the cookie edges with icing, leaving a small border. Fill in the center with more icing and use a toothpick to evenly spread the icing. Top with assorted candies, sprinkles, or decorations of choice for a festive finish.
Notes
- This recipe produces decorated chocolate sugar cookies perfect for Day of the Dead celebrations.
- Use a variety of colorful candies and sprinkles to personalize your cookies.
- Ensure cookies are completely cool before decorating to prevent icing from melting.
- Chilling both the dough and cut cookies helps maintain shape and texture during baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 156
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 6.25 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0.25 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.3 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg
