Spooky Skeleton Halloween Cookies

Ingredients

Unsalted butter

1 cup, softened

Granulated sugar

1 cup

Egg

1 large

Vanilla extract

1 teaspoon

All-purpose flour

3 cups

Baking powder

1 teaspoon

Salt

1/4 teaspoon

White food coloring

as needed

Black food coloring

as needed

Royal icing

4 cups, prepared

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a smooth dough forms.
5. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
8. Use a skeleton-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies from the rolled dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Keep an eye on them to avoid over-baking.
10. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
11. Prepare the royal icing according to the package instructions. Divide it into two bowls; add black food coloring to one and white food coloring to the other. Mix until the desired colors are achieved.
12. Using a piping bag or small spoon, decorate the cooled cookies with the black and white royal icing to create fun skeleton designs. Let the icing set for at least 1 hour before serving or storing.