How To Create Halloween Gingerbread Cookies

By: Sarin Istanboulli, Features Editor, Pawprint

As Halloween is right around the corner, people are starting to get excited about the treats. Most popularly, the candy and cookies. People often question how the gingerbread cookies are made, which is going to be explained here step by step. 

Ingredients for the gingerbread cookies: 

• 125g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (125ml) golden syrup
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 1/2 cups (375g) plain flour
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• Orange food coloring
• 2 green sour straps
• 1m licorice strap
• Chocolate writing gel
• Edible glitter, to decorate

Icing recipe: 

• 1 egg white, lightly whisked
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 cups (320g) pure icing sugar

Step 1:

• Preheat the oven to 180C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. 

Step 2:

• Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar, and golden syrup until it’s light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat until it’s combined. Later add flour, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves and stir till it’s mixed. Place on a smooth surface and knead until smooth. Afterward, wrap in a plastic wrap and place into the fridge for 30 minutes to rest. 

Step 3:

• Divide the dough into 2 even portions. Roll a portion of the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm thick disc. Use an 8 cm diameter round pastry cutter, so that you could cut discs from the pastry. Use a small sharp knife to cut 1cm small wedges from opposite sides of the discs to create the pumpkin shape. Utilize your fingers to smooth it out. Place the dough into the fridge to rest. 

Step 4: 

• Roll the remaining dough out to make it a 5mm thick disc. Utilize the top half of the gingerbread cutter to cut the head and arms from the disc. However, use a small sharp knife to cut the bottom half into a ghost shape. Then place the dough into the fridge for 30 minutes to rest. 

Step 5: 

• Place the dough into the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until you could see the dough lightly golden. Place them aside to cool down. 

Step 6: 

• Now to make the royal icing, place the egg white and lemon juice into a small bowl. Slowly add icing sugar to form a smooth paste. Divide the mixture into 2 even portions. Place orange food coloring into one of the mixtures and spread the icing evenly over each of the pumpkins. Use a knife to trim the licorice into small triangles to create the pumpkin’s eyes and mouth, then attach them to the biscuits. Cut sour straps into 1mm thick strips, and wrap around a skewer to create the vine, then attach them to the top of each of the pumpkins and set them aside. 

Step 7: 

• Now spread the white icing evenly across the ghost cookies. Use a pipe chocolate gel onto the ghosts to create the eyes. Sprinkle glitter evenly across the cookies to create a shimmer effect. Set them aside to set completely. 

Once the icing is all set, place it onto a plate and enjoy your Halloween sweets. Happy Halloween!