Description
Delightfully spooky and buttery Ghost Shortbread Cookies perfect for Halloween or any festive occasion. These tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are lightly flavored with vanilla and topped with simple frosting and chocolate chip eyes to create charming ghost shapes that are as fun to make as they are to eat.
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
- 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 and Prepare Dough: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, confectioners’ sugar, and cornstarch until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Form the Dough: Gradually add in the all-purpose flour and continue beating until fully combined. If desired, divide the dough into two portions and tint one with orange food coloring and the other with blue to create colorful ghosts.
- Roll and Cut Shapes: On a lightly floured surface, roll each colored dough portion to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using a floured 2-inch tulip-shaped cookie cutter, cut out ghost shapes.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the ghost cookies about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until the bottoms turn light brown.
- Cool the Cookies: Remove the cookies from the baking sheets and transfer them to wire racks. Let them cool completely to ensure the frosting adheres properly.
- Prepare Frosting: In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, and 2% milk. Beat the mixture until it becomes smooth and creamy.
- Decorate Cookies: Using a piping bag or small spoon, pipe small eyes onto each ghost cookie using the prepared frosting. Immediately top the eyes with miniature semisweet chocolate chips to complete the ghostly look.
- Set and Serve: Allow the decorated cookies to stand until the frosting sets to avoid smudging. Enjoy your festive and spooky Ghost Shortbread Cookies!
Notes
- For vibrant cookie colors, add a few drops of food coloring to the dough before rolling.
- If you don’t have a tulip-shaped cutter, use any ghost or similar-shaped cookie cutter.
- Ensure cookies are completely cool before frosting to prevent melting.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness for up to a week.
- Miniature chocolate chips can be substituted with small candy eyes for a different decoration effect.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
