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Easy Halloween Spider Web Sugar Cookies

Halloween Spider Web Sugar Cookies - featured image
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These Easy Halloween Spider Web Sugar Cookies are the perfect spooky treat that comes together in under 45 minutes with no chilling time. A simple two-color dough creates natural spider web patterns as they bake, resulting in crisp-edged, soft-centered cookies that are a crowd-pleaser at any Halloween party.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (315 grams)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams), softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • Black gel food coloring (about 1-2 teaspoons)
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30 grams), for dusting

Instructions

  1. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. You want the mixture to look pale and almost doubled in volume. If it looks greasy or separated, your butter was too soft—pop the bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes and try again.
  2. Add the egg and vanilla. Crack the egg into a small bowl first (just in case you get shell pieces), then add it to the butter mixture along with the vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix here, or your cookies will be tough. The mixture might look a little curdled at this point—that is totally normal, do not panic.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add this to the wet mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed after each. Stop as soon as the flour disappears. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it feels too wet, add a tablespoon more flour.
  4. Divide and color the dough. Split the dough into two equal halves. Leave one half plain (this will be your white web). To the other half, add about 1 teaspoon of black gel food coloring. Knead the color in with your hands—wear gloves if you do not want stained fingers. Add more coloring a little at a time until you get a deep, dark black. This usually takes 1-2 teaspoons total.
  5. Layer the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the white dough into a rectangle about ¼-inch thick. It does not have to be perfect—rough edges are fine. Roll the black dough into a rectangle of the same size. Carefully lift the black dough and place it directly on top of the white dough. Press gently to make them stick together.
  6. Cut into strips. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the layered dough into strips about ½-inch wide. You will have about 12-14 strips depending on the size of your rectangle. This is the messy part, but do not worry about perfection. Imperfect strips make more interesting webs.
  7. Twist and roll. Take two strips and lay them side by side. Gently twist them together like you are making a two-color rope. Then, roll the twisted rope into a spiral, starting from one end and working your way around. Pinch the end to seal it. Repeat with the remaining strips. You should get about 6-8 cookie spirals.
  8. Flatten and bake. Place each spiral on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Gently press down on each spiral with the palm of your hand to flatten it into a cookie shape. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. The centers will look slightly underdone—that is good. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

Do not skip the flour dusting when rolling and cutting the dough. Work quickly but calmly to keep the dough from getting too warm. Watch the baking time closely; start checking at 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on the cooling rack before serving. The web pattern becomes more defined as they cool. For best results, use gel food coloring, not liquid. The cookies taste even better the day after baking.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween cookies, spider web cookies, sugar cookies, easy Halloween treats, no-chill cookies, two-color dough cookies

Find it online: https://lolaspoon.com/easy-halloween-spider-web-sugar-cookies-best-recipe/