Chocolate Cinnamon Skeleton Cookies (Print Version)

Spooky chocolate cinnamon cookies shaped like skeletons with sweet icing, perfect for Halloween celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cookies

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
07 - 1 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Royal Icing

10 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 1 large egg white or 2 tablespoons meringue powder
12 - 2-3 tablespoons water

# How-To Steps:

01 - Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined.
02 - Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated.
03 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing just until dough forms. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies.
04 - Divide dough in half and flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until firm.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
06 - Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut out skeleton shapes using cookie cutter.
07 - Place cookies on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until set. Cool completely on wire rack.
08 - Beat egg white or meringue powder with powdered sugar and water until smooth and pipeable consistency is achieved.
09 - Transfer icing to piping bag with fine tip. Pipe skeleton designs onto cooled cookies. Allow icing to dry completely before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The chocolate cinnamon combination tastes like autumn arrived early and decided to stay for dessert
  • These cookies keep their shape beautifully so your skeletons actually look like skeletons instead of blobby ghosts
  • The decorating process turns into an impromptu art project that is just as fun as eating them
02 -
  • Chilling the dough is mandatory because warm dough will spread in the oven and your skeleton cookies will look like they had a rough encounter with a heat wave
  • Rolling thickness matters too much because thin dough burns before the centers set and thick dough never bakes through properly
  • Royal icing consistency should be like toothpaste not runny like glaze or thick like cookie dough or your skeleton designs will either blur or never pipe smoothly
03 -
  • Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dough if you want a subtle heat that surprises people after the chocolate sweetness hits
  • Use gel food coloring in your royal icing instead of liquid to avoid messing up that carefully achieved consistency

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