These festive ghost-shaped sugar cookies are perfect for Halloween parties, fall gatherings, and spooky-season baking. A touch of pumpkin pie spice gives the cookies warmth, while Superior Flavors Birthday Cake Flavor adds a sweet vanilla-and-baked-sugar finish to both the cookies and icing.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Yield: About 2½ dozen cookies
Active Time: Approximately 1 hour
Total Time: Approximately 5½ hours, including chilling and drying
Superior Flavor Used
Superior Flavors Birthday Cake Flavor
- 1 teaspoon in the sugar cookie dough
- ¼ teaspoon in the royal icing
For a stronger Birthday Cake flavor in the icing, you may gradually increase the amount to ½ teaspoon, according to taste.
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for rolling
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Superior Flavors Birthday Cake Flavor
For the Royal Icing
- 3 large pasteurized egg whites
- Pinch of fine salt
- 1 pound confectioners' sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Superior Flavors Birthday Cake Flavor
- Water, as needed to adjust the consistency
For Decorating
- 30 black jelly beans, cut in half
- Black licorice lace, cut into approximately 30 small pieces
You Will Also Need
- 3½-inch ghost-shaped cookie cutter
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheets
- Wire cooling racks
Instructions
Prepare the Sugar Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Set the mixture aside.
- Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and 1 teaspoon Superior Flavors Birthday Cake Flavor. Continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until a smooth cookie dough forms.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it securely, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Cut and Bake the Ghost Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the chilled dough into two portions. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough to approximately ¼-inch thickness.
- Cut the dough using a ghost-shaped cookie cutter and carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for several minutes before transferring them to wire racks.
- Cool completely before decorating.
- Re-roll any remaining dough and continue cutting and baking until all the dough has been used.
Prepare the Birthday Cake Royal Icing
- Add the pasteurized egg whites and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Beat until foamy.
- Gradually incorporate the confectioners' sugar.
- Add ¼ teaspoon Superior Flavors Birthday Cake Flavor and approximately 1 tablespoon of water.
- Continue beating until the icing becomes smooth, glossy, and thick enough to coat the cookies.
- If the icing is too thick, add additional water a few drops at a time.
- For a more pronounced Birthday Cake flavor, taste the finished icing and increase the flavoring gradually, up to approximately ½ teaspoon total.
Decorate the Ghost Cookies
- Place wire cooling racks over parchment-lined baking sheets to catch excess icing.
- Dip the top of each cooled ghost cookie into the Birthday Cake royal icing and allow the excess icing to drip off.
- Place each cookie icing-side-up on the cooling rack.
- Add two black jelly bean halves for the eyes and a small piece of black licorice for the mouth.
- Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Allow the decorated cookies to rest for approximately 1 hour, or until the royal icing has completely set.
Flavor Tip
Superior Flavors Birthday Cake Flavor adds sweet notes of vanilla and baked sugar that complement both the buttery sugar cookies and smooth royal icing. Using the flavor in both components creates a consistent Birthday Cake profile without overpowering the warm pumpkin pie spice.
Superior Flavors Birthday Cake Flavor:
1 teaspoon in the cookies + ¼ teaspoon in the royal icing.
