Chocolate Cinnamon Skeleton Cookies Recipes

CINNAMON-SPICED HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly with a whisk and set aside. Combine the sugars in a small bowl and mix well with your fingers pressing out any lumps. (Combine in a food processor if lumps are stubborn.)
• In a medium mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter and margarine until creamy. Add sugar mixture, cinnamon, peppers, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. Beat in the egg white and until the mixture is smooth. Stop the mixer. Add the flour mixture, beating on the lowest speed, just until incorporated. Gather the dough together with your hands and form it into a neat log, 9 to 10 inches long by 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Fold or twist ends of the paper without pinching or flatting the log. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes, or until needed.
• Put the oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
• Use a sharp knife to slice rounds of chilled dough, a scant 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the cookies, 1-inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through. Cookies will puff and crackle on top, and then begin to settle down slightly when done.
• Remove the baking sheets from the oven and use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing or stacking. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 2 months.
• To spice things up, after the cookies are baked, let them cool on a wire rack, drizzle with dulce de leche and sprinkle chopped almonds on top.

HALLOWEEN SKELETON COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream sugar and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and almond flavoring and mix well.
• Stir flour, baking powder, and salt together in a second bowl. Add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and mix to combine. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Dust a work surface with 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and roll out dough into a 1/4-inch-thick circle. Cut out figure shapes with a gingerbread man cookie cutter and arrange cut-out cookies on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheets carefully and transfer to wire racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Stir 1 cup confectioners' sugar and milk together in a small bowl until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract until icing is smooth and glossy. Add more corn syrup if icing is too thick.
• Spoon icing into a piping bag with a small plain tip. Draw a filled-out circle inside the head for the skull and a skeleton on the body, including 3 horizontal lines for the ribs. Let cookies stand until icing dries completely, about 2 hour, best overnight.
• Use black decorating gel to draw eyes, a nose, and a mouth on the skull and let cookies dry again, about 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE-CINNAMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Add melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Mix in cocoa powder until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and cinnamon.
• Drop hazelnut-sized balls of dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

CINNAMON STARS: ZIMTSTERNE (GERMANY)

Steps:

• Sift the confectioners' sugar.
• Put 1/2 cup of the sifted confectioners' sugar, 10 ounces (3 heaping cups) of the almonds and all the cinnamon in a food processor. Process until the nuts are finely ground, with just a few larger pieces.
• Whip the egg whites in a large, clean bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until they hold soft peaks, about 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining confectioners' sugar while whipping, until the whites are thick, creamy and somewhat stiff, about 2 minutes more. Set aside 2/3 cup of this meringue for topping the cookies.
• Fold the ground almond mixture and the lemon zest into the remaining meringue to make a stiff dough.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Lay a sheet of parchment or waxed paper on the work surface and lightly dust with confectioners' sugar. Turn the dough out onto the dusted paper, flatten and dust with more sugar as needed, and then lay another sheet of parchment or waxed paper on top. Roll the dough between the papers until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Flip the dough over and gently peel off a sheet of the paper. For ease when cutting, lay the paper back on the dough, flip again and gently pull off the other side of the paper so that the dough is fully released from it.
• Cut cookies with a 3-inch star cutter and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. (Excess dough can be rerolled.) Use a small spoon, brush or offset spatula to spread the reserved meringue over the top of each cookie, taking care not to let the meringue drip over the sides. Press or sprinkle remaining sliced almonds in a decorative pattern into the meringue.
• Bake cookies until bottoms are light golden brown and meringue is set and crisp, about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door to release heat and dry cookies out in the oven for 10 more minutes.

CINNAMON-CHOCOLATE CHUNK SKILLET COOKIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Lightly beat eggs and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add egg mixture and beat, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until mixture is pale and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients, beating until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate with a spatula.
• Press dough evenly into 12" skillet. Bake cookie until golden brown around the edges and center is still soft, 20-25 minutes. Let cookie cool in skillet before slicing.
• Do Ahead
• Cookie can be made 3 days ahead; cover and store at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE SKELETON COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until easy to handle. , On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. gingerbread boy cookie cutter. Place on greased baking sheets. , Bake at 375° for 7-8 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For icing, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Cut a small hole in the corner of a resealable plastic bag; fill with icing. Pipe skeleton bones on cookies.