Last week, I lamented over my lack of creative ability when it comes to holiday crafts and I reached to you for some help. Well, you came through with flying colors, linking up your wonderful Halloween recipe and craft ideas. If you’re looking for fun ideas to keep the kids busy leading up to Halloween, be sure to check out the links. There are so many of them that I plan to try and the first on the list were the mummy cookies from Lana of Never Enough Thyme. Lana’s post includes the mummy cookies, as well as several other fun Halloween treat ideas.
I provided the directions for making your own frosting, but store-bought icing and sugar cookies will work, too. The most important thing is having fun, which is impossible to avoid when you mix kids and icing bags.
How to do it:
The cookies:
One of the tricks to decorating cookies is starting with a good cookie recipe. You want something that tastes good, but want to avoid cookies that puff up, which makes decorating challenging. This sugar cookie from Martha Stewart or this shortbread cookie from Cake Journal are both good options.
The icing:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, milk, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix on low to combine, then turn to medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
Scoop half of the icing into a bowl and set aside. To the icing in the mixer, add unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon milk. Mix until combined.
Stir in drops of black icing color (found in most large craft stores, such as Michael’s and cake decorating stores) into the chocolate icing until it turns black. This will make enough icing for 16 cookies.
Decorating the cookies:
The easiest way to decorate cookies is with a selection of piping bags, decorating tips and couplers, which can be bought inexpensively at many craft stores, such as Michael’s. If you are not planning to decorate often, you can buy a package of the disposable piping bags. Alternatively, you can scoop the icing into a ziploc bag and cut off a small corner of the bag to squeeze out the icing.
Using an offset spatula, cover the cookies with black icing.
For the eyes, we used #3 and #1 tips for the white and black parts of the eyes, respectively.
Switch the tip on the white icing to a #5 for the mummy cloth strips. Make various strips across the cookies, surrounding the eyes.
The boys diligently decorated each cookie, thoroughly covering themselves in icing – the sign of a good cookie-making session. The boys picked out their favorite pictures for the photo.
And then…the best part. They were very proud of their handiwork and more than happy to take the honor of eating the first cookies.
For more ideas on decorating cookies, head to How to: Decorate Cookies.
Cookie Icing
From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb. powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp unsweetened coca powder
- 1 tbsp milk
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, milk, vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
- Mix on low to combine, then turn to medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Scoop half of the icing into a bowl and set aside.
- To the icing in the mixer, add unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon milk. Mix until combined.
- Stir in drops of black icing color (found in most large craft stores, such as Michael’s and cake decorating stores) into the chocolate icing until it turns black. This will make enough icing for 16 cookies.
This post is entered in the Kitchen Play Progressive Party, sponsored by McCormick.
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
i love both interpretations of the mummy 🙂
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
Such a fun cookie to make with your cute boys!
kelley says
Getting the kids in the kitchen is so rewarding, isn’t it? No matter what we make, Evan is always so proud of what he’s made and so excited to dive in and eat. I can’t decide what looks more edible, the cookies or the boys.
bellini says
These are such fun !!!!!!
KalynsKitchen says
Love the photos of the little helpers! I’m a grinch when it comes to Halloween but I bet the kids loved making these.
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
Cute. The fun part is that the kids think their cookies look just as good as yours 🙂
Jenny Flake says
Love your cookies! My boys would LOVE decorating those 🙂 Have a great weekend!!
Lisa [With Style and Grace] says
these are great!
Maria says
What a fun project to do with the kiddos!
SweetSugarBelle says
ADORABLE!!! I’d love to have helpers like yours! =)
claudia lamascolo/aka pegasuslegend says
looks like fun to me!
Wenderly says
So stinkin cute!!!!!
foodie @ Tasting Spot says
they look really nice… great pictures
Krista {Budget Gourmet Mom} says
Those are adorable! My boys would love making these!
MikeVFMK says
These cookies are adorable and I love that your boys are right in there helping out!
Tickled Red says
These are adorable! What I love most is seeing what the kids come up with on their own. Theirs always seem to take the cake 🙂
Katrina says
These are so fun! I love simple cookies for occasions like Halloween. Cute 🙂
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme says
I’m so glad that your boys enjoyed making the mummy cookies!! They were my most favorite project from that post. Please give the kids a big “Happy Halloween” from me!
The Newlywed Chefs says
Oh how adorable!!
Nava Krishnan says
Your sons did a good job as I can see the lovely outcome.
Island Vittles says
These are great — kids will love them, but they’re simple enough for even non-artists like me to pull them off. Great idea! Theresa
Angela and Marilena says
Love the idea, so creative! They look so cute!
Curt says
Those are very cool looking. You did a great job! You’re right, there are a lot of creative ideas out there!
Marla says
Dara, LOVE this post. Totally pinned. Great job on the cookies 🙂
Heather | Farmgirl Gourmet says
Cute cute cute!! I think the boys looked like they enjoyed themselves! 🙂 Great post.
Sue says
Such adorable cookies! Beautiful photos too! Your baking apprentices are so cute~love the tinted teeth after eating the cookies:)
Suzanne says
cute a simple perfect for kids 🙂
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
omg love these!!
Sandy says
Dara! These are soooo adorable! Not the cookies, your boys. Well, the cookies too. The pictures of making these with your sons are real treasures.
SMITH BITES says
i’m not sure which is cuter . . . the cookies or your kids!!!
Nutmeg Nanny says
How fun! The kids look like they are having a blast decorating these cookies.
Angie says
TOO cute!
megan @ whatmegansmaking says
These are so fun!! Love that kids can do them too. 🙂
Liz says
These are the best Halloween cookies I’ve ever seen! So darn cute. And I think even I might be able to pull off this decorating technique 🙂
Linda says
How fun!! And I love seeing the boys decorate the cookies!! I so miss having my kids at that age! Halloween is still my favorite time, but so very different now!
Nichol says
I am not at all creative when it comes to decorating and baking. These however look so fun and perfect for kiddos!
Donna says
So, so darling – and looks easy!
Katherine Martinelli says
These (and your kids!) are too cute! Thanks for linking up at my Halloween blog hop 😀
cecilia says
I am not a baker, throw me a life jacket haha Anyhow is there a cookie a person can purchase at the store that can do. I can make the frosting though, plz help