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Spiced Halloween Sugar Cookies

These festive sugar cookies are infused with warm autumn spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, creating a cozy flavor profile. The dough is rolled out and cut into Halloween shapes, then baked until lightly golden, resulting in crisp edges and tender centers perfect for decorating. They’re a fun, mess-friendly treat that captures the spirit of the season.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 24
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 150
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground ginger

Equipment

  • Rolling pin
  • Cookie cutters
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Cooling rack

Method
 

  1. Cream together softened butter and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color, with a gentle squeaking sound when you scrape the bowl.
  2. Add the large egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture, then beat until well combined and smooth.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to evenly distribute the spices.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed or folding until just combined and a soft dough forms.
  5. Divide the dough into two equal parts, shape each into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to relax the gluten and firm the dough.
  6. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Remove one dough disc from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly.
  7. Lightly flour a clean surface and your rolling pin; roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness, ensuring an even layer for uniform cookies.
  8. Use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the rolled dough, pressing firmly but gently to get clean cuts.
  9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully transfer the cut-out cookies onto it, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
  10. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just turning a light golden brown and the cookies feel firm to the touch.
  11. Remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely and set.

Notes

Chill the dough thoroughly to prevent spreading. Use a variety of Halloween cookie cutters for fun shapes. Decorate with icing or sprinkles once completely cooled for a festive touch.