Bat sugar cookies are a tasty and fun Halloween dessert that's perfect for baking with the kids during the scariest time of the year! These rolled-out spooky cookies are chilled, cut out into bats, then decorated with black royal icing. Try my easy bat sugar cookie recipe to share with crowds this Halloween season!
½tablespoonmilk(or more as needed to reach desired consistency)
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Instructions
Make The Sugar Cookie Bats
Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Then, add the eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Stir in the flour until it is evenly distributed throughout your sugar cookie dough. *If you plan to roll out your sugar cookies soon, you may place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
If you don't plan on rolling your cookies out for a while (up to 3 days), wrap the cookie dough in cling wrap to refrigerate and chill.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
Once your dough has chilled, separate small portions of the dough to work with on a floured surface. Roll out the dough until ¼-½ inch thick and cut into bats with your bat cookie cutter.
Transfer your cookies to your prepared baking sheet and bake for 6-9 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
Remove the cookies from the oven before the bottom edges become golden. Let them sit on on the baking sheet for 5-6 minutes before you transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool off completely.
Make The Black Royal Icing
Add the confectioner's sugar, meringue powder, optional cocoa powder, to a medium mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk to combine.
Pour the water into the bowl and mix (on low speed if using a mixer) until combined.
Drag a knife through the icing to test the consistency. If the gap in the icing closes quickly (in less than 10 seconds) continue to mix until it thickens.
If it takes more than 20 seconds for the gap to close, it is too thick. Add a small amount of water (a few drops) and mix briefly. Repeat the testing process until it reaches the desired consistency.
Add the black gel food coloring to the icing and mix it together by hand. If the icing is grey, add more black food coloring and mix until it is dark black in color.
Ice Your Cooled Sugar Cookies
Add the icing to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner cut off. Begin by outlining your bats in black icing before filling in the inside.
Allow the bat sugar cookies to dry overnight before adding the white eyes, if desired.
Make White Icing For Eyes (Optional)
Combine powdered sugar and milk in a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. If icing is too thick, add small amounts of milk as needed until it reaches desired consistency.
Use a piping bag or Ziploc bag with a very small corner cut off to pipe the tiny eyes onto the face of each bat. You may also use a toothpick to dab and dot the eyes.
Notes
Black-out food coloring is available at most Wal-Mart stores and can be ordered there, on Amazon, or Wilton, as well as cake decorating stores and Hobby Lobby.
You will need ½ to 1 teaspoon of gel food coloring per 1 cup of icing.
I prefer to let my baked sugar cookies set overnight before icing with black royal icing. The soft cookies tend to absorb the wet icing right after baking. When left to set overnight, the cookies form a film of sorts that prevents them from absorbing the icing.
You may use pre-made sugar cookie dough or cookie mix to make these sugar cookie bats, if desired.
To store: Store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag between layers of wax paper. They will last at room temperature for up to 1 week.
To freeze: Double wrap your sugar cookie dough in cling wrap then place it in an airtight freezer bag or container for up to 6 months.
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