HALLOWEEN COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

-1/2 cup butter, softened

-1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar

-1/2 cup (125ml) corn syrup

-1 egg yolk

-2 1/2 cups (375g) plain flour

-1 tbsp ground ginger

-1 tsp ground cinnamon

-1/2 tsp ground cloves

-Orange food colouring

-2 green sour straps

-3 feet of licorice strap

-Chocolate writing gel

-Edible glitter, to decorate


Royal icing

-1 egg white, lightly whisked

-1/2 tsp lemon juice

-2 cups (320g) pure icing sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1)    Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

2)    Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar and golden syrup until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and beat until just combined. Add flour, ginger, cinnamon and cloves and stir to combine. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

3)    Divide dough into 2 even portions. Roll a portion out on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm-thick disc. Use an 8cm-diameter round pastry cutter to cut discs from the pastry. Use a small sharp knife to cut a small 1cm wedges from 2 opposite sides of a disc to create a pumpkin shape. Use your fingers to gently smooth and round the edges. Place in the fridge to rest.

4)    Roll remaining dough out to a 5mm-thick disc. Use the top half of a gingerbread man cutter to cut the head and arms from the disc. Use a small sharp knife to cut the bottom half into a ghost shape. Place on the remaining tray. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

5)    Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside to cool.

6)    To make the royal icing, place the egg white and lemon juice in a small bowl. Gradually add the icing sugar to form a smooth paste. Divide the icing into 2 even portions. Tint a portion using the orange colouring. Spread the icing evenly over each of the pumpkin shapes. Use a small sharp knife to trim the licorice strap into small triangles to create eyes and mouth. Attach to biscuits. Cut sour strap into 1mm-thick strips, wrap around a skewer to create a vine. Attach to the top of each pumpkin. Set aside to set.

7)    Spread the white icing evenly over the ghost cookies. Pipe chocolate gel onto the ghosts to create eyes. Sprinkle evenly with glitter to create a shimmer. Set aside to set completely.