Description
These Halloween Sugar Cookies are soft and chewy vanilla pinwheel cookies with colorful Halloween swirls. Choose orange and black, black and green, or purple and green dough, then add festive sprinkles if you like. The dough also works well for make-ahead baking.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange gel food coloring
- 1 teaspoon black gel food coloring
- Halloween sprinkles, optional
- For black and green variation: 1 teaspoon black gel food coloring and 1 teaspoon green gel food coloring
- For purple and green variation: 3 teaspoons purple gel food coloring and 1 teaspoon green gel food coloring
Instructions
- Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl, then set aside.
- Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Then beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until a smooth dough forms.
- Divide the dough evenly into two portions. Color one portion orange and the other black, mixing each portion separately so the colors do not blend.
- Shape each colored dough portion into a flattened rectangle. Wrap each one in plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
- Roll each chilled dough portion to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Stack one color over the other, then trim the edges into an even rectangle.
- Roll the stacked dough tightly into a log.
- If using sprinkles, lightly moisten the outside of the dough log and press the Halloween sprinkles onto it.
- Wrap the log and refrigerate for at least 1 additional hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Slice the chilled dough log into cookies about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Arrange the cookies about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops no longer look shiny.
- Let the cookies cool before storing or serving.
Notes
One batch makes one two-color combination. Make three separate batches if you want orange and black, black and green, and purple and green cookies.
Chilling the dough improves flavor, makes it easier to handle, helps the pinwheel hold its shape, and limits spreading during baking.
For accurate flour measurement, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level the top instead of packing it tightly.
Use butter softened to room temperature, but do not use melted or overly soft butter.
Room-temperature ingredients blend more evenly and help create a lighter, more consistent texture.
For cleaner slices, use a thin, sharp blade so you do not compress the dough log.
Regular sprinkles work better than colored sanding sugar because sanding sugar can release color when exposed to moisture.
Prepared dough can stay refrigerated for up to 4 days before baking.
If the chilled dough feels too firm to slice, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Cool the baked cookies completely, then store them in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature.
The cookies remain soft for several days. Refrigeration is not recommended.
No specific nutrition values are provided. Any nutritional information should be independently calculated and verified for accuracy.