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Spooky Spider Web Cookies: Easy Halloween Sugar Cookies

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These spooky chocolate spider web cookies are the perfect Halloween treat—quick to make, easy to decorate, and always a crowd-pleaser. With a tender chocolate cookie base and a glossy royal icing spider web design, they look impressive but require no special skills.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100g) shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 4–5 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Black gel food coloring

Instructions

  1. Cream the butter and shortening. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, shortening, and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
  3. Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
  4. Chill the dough. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin.
  6. Roll and cut. Roll one disc of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out rounds using your cookie cutter and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and cut again.
  7. Bake. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are set and the tops look dry. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. Make the royal icing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 4 tablespoons of water and the vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until the icing is thick and glossy. Adjust consistency with additional water or powdered sugar as needed.
  9. Color the icing. Divide the icing into two bowls. Leave one bowl white. Add black gel food coloring to the other bowl until desired darkness is reached. Transfer each color to separate piping bags or squeeze bottles fitted with small round tips.
  10. Pipe the base layer. Outline each cookie with white icing, then fill it in (flooding). Use a toothpick to spread the icing into the corners if needed. Let the base layer dry completely, about 30-45 minutes.
  11. Pipe the spider web. Once the base is dry, pipe a small dot of black icing in the center of each cookie. Pipe 3-4 concentric circles around the center dot, spacing them about 1/4 inch apart. While the black icing is still wet, use a toothpick to drag lines from the center outward through all the circles. Wipe the toothpick clean between each drag.
  12. Let set. Allow the icing to set completely, about 1-2 hours, until hard and shiny.

Notes

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to prevent spreading. Use gel food coloring for the icing, not liquid, to maintain consistency. Work in batches of 4-5 cookies when decorating to prevent the icing from crusting. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, use vegan butter.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween cookies, spider web cookies, sugar cookies, chocolate cookies, royal icing, easy Halloween dessert, spooky cookies

Find it online: https://cravemila.com/spooky-spider-web-cookies-easy-halloween-sugar-cookies/