Description
Celebrate the Day of the Dead with these festive skull-shaped cookies featuring a tender almond-infused dough, coated in white candy melts, and decorated with colorful candies for a fun and vibrant treat perfect for the occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1-1/4 cups butter, softened
- 1-3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 ounces almond paste
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup 2% milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Coating and Decorations
- 2 packages (12 ounces each) white candy coating melts
- Optional decorations: Jumbo sprinkles, peppermint candies, candy-coated sunflower kernels, Skittles, Twizzlers Rainbow Twists, Good & Plenty candies
- Black paste food coloring
Instructions
- Cream and mix dough: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the almond paste and beat until combined. Then beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Combine dry ingredients and chill dough: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, mixing well. Once incorporated, cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
- Roll out and cut shapes: On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 5-inch skull-shaped cookie cutter dusted with flour, cut out cookie shapes and place them 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies: Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 7-9 minutes or until the cookies are firm to the touch. After baking, let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Melt candy coating and decorate: In a large, shallow microwave-safe dish, melt the white candy coating melts according to package instructions. Dip the topsides of each cooled cookie into the melted coating, allowing excess to drip off. Place the dipped cookies on waxed paper.
- Add decorations and finish piping: Decorate the dipped cookies as desired with jumbo sprinkles, peppermint candies, candy-coated sunflower kernels, Skittles, Twizzlers, Good & Plenty candies. Tint any remaining white candy coating black using paste food coloring, then pipe on mouths and other details. Let the decoration set completely before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the dough is chilled well to prevent spreading during baking.
- Use a variety of colorful candies to create vibrant and festive decorations.
- The candy coating melts set quickly, so work efficiently when dipping and decorating.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
