the Sugar Lining: Trick or Treat! Spooktacular Halloween Cookies

I love an excuse to bake and frost cookies, and Halloween is the perfect one right about now. There are witches, ghosts, monsters, jack-o-lanterns and so many other spooky inspirations lurking about. A few drops of food coloring and festive treats can turn the standard sugar cookie into the perfect Halloween sweet. It's definitely a bit of a process, but that's the best part! With a baseball game in the background, I whipped up the cookie dough, took a break for it to chill, then rolled and cut out my cookies. After they cooled, I turned on a good movie, got comfy in my chair, and covered the table with trays of cookies, bowls of frosting, and lots and lots of sprinkles, chocolate chips, and m&m's. So pick a movie, clear your space, and gather your goodies for some Halloween baking to get you in the trick or treating spirit!

Sugar Cookie Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. Mix in eggs.
3. Mix in vanilla.
4. Mix in dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt).
5. Form dough into a ball, place in bowl and cover with cling wrap.
6. Chill for 3-4 hours...this is the hard part!
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
8. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
9. Start with half the chilled cookie dough and leave the other half in the fridge.
10. Flour rolling surface and rolling pin.
11. Roll out cookie dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
12. Flour cookie cutters and cut out dough.
13. Place cut out cookies on cookie tray with a little bit of space for spreading.
14. Bake 6-8 minutes.
15. Let cool and of course taste one or two to avoid any tricks!

Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter
About 1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Splashes of milk for consistency
* All ingredients can be adjusted to get the desired consistency of frosting

1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. Mix in vanilla.
3. Mix in small splashes of milk until frosting is just right.

Divide your frosting, mix your colors, pick your toppings and happy decorating!