The Halloween monster cookies with cocoa shortcrust pastry and jam are a simple and fun sweet idea to make the scariest party of the year even more delicious!
Yesterday my dear cousin Barbara, a great collaborator of the blog, made them for us and they were a hit: crumbly, fragrant, and with that delicious black cherry filling that perfectly matches the sweetness of the royal icing.
The most fun part? Drawing the “scary” faces with food coloring: a perfect activity to do with kids as well.
They are ideal for snacks, breakfasts, or as a sweet treat at the end of a meal, and they keep very well in tin boxes for several days, so we can make them in advance.
As always, I encourage you to try them: the recipe is very easy and will turn out perfectly even for those without much experience with icing. If you have any questions or want to share your versions, feel free to write to us: we always enjoy cooking together, even from a distance! 💛
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 15 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Halloween
- Energy 365.22 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 55.82 (g) of which sugars 31.13 (g)
- Proteins 4.74 (g)
- Fat 14.78 (g) of which saturated 9.38 (g)of which unsaturated 5.21 (g)
- Fibers 1.96 (g)
- Sodium 39.70 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 86 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup butter (soft)
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsps egg whites
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp lemon (juice)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/3 cup black cherry jam
- food coloring (black powder)
- 1 1/2 tbsps pure alcohol (edible)
Tools
- 2 Cookie Cutters
- 1
- 1 Brush
Preparation
We can knead the shortcrust pastry by hand or with the mixer, depending on what we prefer or have available.
With the mixer: put all the ingredients in the bowl, attach the paddle and mix at low speed until a smooth and compact dough forms.
By hand: place the flour in a mound on the work surface, add all the other ingredients in the center, and start mixing with a fork. Then continue with your hands, until a smooth and soft dough is obtained.
Take our cocoa shortcrust pastry and roll it out into a thin layer, just a few millimeters thick, so the cookies will be crunchy and crumbly just right.
With a round pastry cutter (we used the largest one), cut out as many discs as you want to make: with these quantities, you get about 30 cookies.
Take half of the shortcrust discs and, with a smaller pastry cutter, cut out two holes to create the “eyes.”
A little tip: if you want to give different expressions to the cookies, you can vary the shape or position of the holes to make them even more fun and original! 🎃
At this point, prepare the royal icing, which will be used to decorate the surface of our cookies.
We need to achieve a fairly fluid consistency so that the cookies can be dipped easily in the bowl.
If we notice that the icing is too thick, add a few drops of water at a time and mix until smooth and flowy.
The important thing is not to overdo it with the liquids: it must remain thick enough to adhere well to the pastry without dripping too much.
After dipping the cookies in the royal icing, place them gently on a rack and let them dry completely.
The icing must become perfectly hard and dry before it can be decorated.
Prepare a small glass with some edible alcohol (vodka is fine too, as it evaporates quickly) and a small plate with the coloring powder.
Dip the tip of a fine brush in the alcohol and gradually dilute the coloring directly on the plate.
💡 Tip: do not dilute all the coloring at once, as the alcohol tends to evaporate quickly and dry out. It’s better to prepare a little at a time while painting.
Take the full shortcrust discs (those without holes) and fill them with jam.
Place a teaspoon of jam in the center of the cookie, without spreading it to the edges. When you overlay the cookie with holes, the jam will spread by itself and just a little will come out of the holes, creating a really fun “red-eye” effect!
NOTES
Our monster cookies are a delight to see and to taste! Perfect for Halloween, but also for those who love making fun homemade treats. Try them and let us know how they turned out: we always love cooking together with you 💛
If you liked the recipe or have questions, don’t hesitate to comment here or on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and X.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I prepare the Halloween monster cookies in advance?
Yes! These cookies can be perfectly preserved for 4-5 days in a tin box or airtight container.
Can I use a different filling instead of jam?
Of course! If you prefer, you can substitute the jam with hazelnut cream, chocolate ganache, or orange marmalade: each option will give a special touch to your monster cookies.
