Description
Delightfully spooky and sweet, these Ghost Shortbread Cookies are a perfect treat for Halloween or any festive occasion. Soft, buttery shortbread cookies are tinted with optional colors and decorated with creamy frosting and chocolate chip eyes to resemble friendly little ghosts.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Orange and blue food coloring, optional
Frosting and Decoration
- 1-1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2-1/2 teaspoons 2% milk
- 60 miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Prepare Dough: In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, confectioners’ sugar, and cornstarch until fully blended and creamy. Gradually add in the all-purpose flour, mixing until the dough forms.
- Color the Dough: If desired, divide the dough into two portions and tint one with orange food coloring and the other with blue food coloring to create colorful ghosts.
- Roll and Cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use a floured 2-inch tulip-shaped cookie cutter to cut out ghost shapes.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the cookies 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets to allow space for spreading during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned, indicating they are done.
- Cool: Remove cookies from baking sheets and transfer to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.
- Make Frosting: In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, and 2% milk. Beat the mixture until smooth and pipeable for decorating.
- Decorate: Pipe eyes onto each ghost cookie using the frosting, then top each eye with a miniature semisweet chocolate chip to create the ghostly look.
- Set Frosting: Allow the decorated cookies to stand at room temperature until the frosting sets firmly.
Notes
- Use a light hand when rolling out the dough to prevent the cookies from becoming too thin and brittle.
- Greasing the baking sheets well or using parchment paper helps prevent sticking and makes cleanup easier.
- You can substitute milk with cream or a dairy-free alternative if preferred.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Miniature chocolate chips work best for creating detailed eyes; avoid larger chips for better aesthetics.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 25mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
