Ideas for Decorating Halloween Cookies

Halloween can be a great time of the year when you can decorate your home, and be quite festive. Baking and decorating is quite important this time of year, and children can have a great deal of pleasure when helping out. You can decorate Halloween cookies with the family for a themed party, or just for fun. Here are some decorating ideas that you can incorporate when you plan to decorate cookies for Halloween.

Gather the supplies that you will need. Most decorated cookies are made out of sugar cookies, so you will either need the ingredients for your favorite sugar cookie recipe, or refrigerated cookie dough for easier baking. You will also need baking sheets and supplies to decorate the cookies. Cookie decorating supplies would include frosting, colored sugars, candy corn, and various small candies.

Bake the cookies according to the instructions. If you would like something other than a round cookie, you will need to roll out the dough, and cut the shapes out. There are many different major retailers that you can purchase Halloween shaped cookie cutters, and even cake decorating supply stores will carry them if you are having a hard time finding them.

Allow your cookies to cool completely before decorating. If the cookies are still warm when you begin to decorate, the frosting and candies may start to melt, which in turn may ruin the design you were trying to achieve. Once the cookies have cooled, cover the cookie with frosting to allow the candies and sugars to stick to the cookie.

Use a piping tip or plastic sandwich bag with the tip cut to create intricate designs, or even for narrow borders. You may want to practice on wax paper or even parchment paper to get an idea of what you would like to do. You can use candy cord for a jack o lantern's face, or even thin stripped licorice for witch's hair.

Dye coconut with food coloring by placing it in a bag with a couple of drops of food coloring, and closing the bag and shaking. Shredded coconut can be used for many decorating techniques, and this can be an easy way to create a finished look.

Let your children come up with ideas of their own. By allowing your children to come up with their own designs will allow them to feel a sense of achievement on their finished project. Lastly, enjoy decorating cookies with the family.