I’ve been dreading the Halloween conversation with my daughters this year because there won’t be any trick-or-treating, so I plan to keep them busy on October 31st with a few crafts and baking activities.

I usually make themed sugar cookies for my daughters’ birthdays, so my 6-year old asked me if we can make pumpkin-shaped cookies this year. I didn’t want to disappoint her, but I have a love-hate relationship with sugar cookies. I love how they look and taste, but I hate making royal icing and waiting for it to dry. So I came up with an alternative option of making simple shortbread cookies in a pumpkin shape and use candy melts to decorate the cookies.

I know cookie decorating can seem daunting to many, especially when it’s complicated. That’s why I will share several decorating options here, from easy, medium, and maximum effort.

Before diving into the recipe, I want to explain the difference between sugar cookies and shortbread cookies. Sugar cookies, as implied by their name, are meant to be sweeter and lighter in texture than shortbread cookies, which are less sweet and denser in texture because they don’t have any leavening agent. Both cookies aren’t meant to spread while baking, so they work great for making unique shapes. While traditional shortbread cookies don’t have vanilla, I used it for this recipe to mimic the taste of a sugar cookie, which we love in our home. Besides, can you really go wrong with adding vanilla in any dessert?

This recipe needs only four simple ingredients – flour, icing sugar, butter, and vanilla. I made a small batch with mini chocolate chips, but that is entirely optional. The key to maintaining the size and shape of these cookies is keeping the dough cold. Once the dough is mixed, it must be chilled in the fridge for 1-2 hours before cutting into the desired shapes as it allows the butter to solidify and the dough to firm up.  The cut-outs should then be put back in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before baking to ensure the cookies don’t spread in the oven.

Shortbread cookies are quite simple to make, but the decorating part can get overwhelming, so I wanted to keep this recipe simple enough for even the novice bakers to enjoy creating with their kids. You can use any shape of cookie cutters. We used pumpkin shaped cutters. If you don’t have any, just cut them out into triangles or squares using a sharp knife. You can also improvise and use a plastic or metal cup to cut out circles, but make sure to smooth out the edges, so the cookies bake up neatly.

Shortbread cookies can be decorated with royal icing, but I chose candy melts because they are much simpler than royal icing. There are tons of colours available, and they can be found at Michaels, Bulk Barn, Walmart and most grocery stores. If you don’t have time to get candy melts, you can also use semi-sweet or white chocolate chips. Melt them in the microwave at 50% power for about 2 minutes, in 30-second intervals until completely melted and smooth.

The easiest way to apply candy melt to the cookies is using a piping or a ziplock bag. I prefer the latter so there’s no extra cleanup required. Place one corner of a ziplock bag inside a tall glass and pour the melted candy into the bag. Seal well and cut a tiny hole at the tip. Start really small as you can always cut more if needed. Gently squeeze the bag to pipe a border around the entire cookie, then squeeze a bit harder to apply the filling. Slide the cookie side to side to allow candy melt to spread evenly and then use a toothpick to close up any uncovered spots and air pockets.

The cookie dough can be made in advance and stored for up to a week in the fridge or about a month in the freezer. If storing for more than a couple of hours, make sure to wrap very well. If frozen, allow dough to rest for an hour or so at room temperature so it can be rolled and cut. Decorated cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to a week. We usually consumer them all within 3-4 days!

 Prep time: 30 - 40 mins | Bake Time: 9 - 10 mins

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter (softened to room temperature)
½ cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup all-purpose flour*
⅓ to ⅔ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Candy Melts or semi-sweet chocolate chips for decoration (optional)

Quick Instructions (for experienced bakers)

1. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter until creamy.

2. Add in icing sugar and mix well.

3. Add in vanilla, then flour and mix until fully incorporated.

4. Optional: add in mini chocolate chips.

5. Chill dough in fridge for 1-2 hours, then roll to ¼” height, cut into desired shapes.

6. Chill the cut-outs for 15 mins before baking.

7. Bake at 350°F on middle rack for 9-10 minutes.

8. Cool completely on a wire rack and decorate with your favourite candy melt or melted chocolate chips.

Detailed Instructions (for non-experienced bakers)

1. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute.

2. Add icing sugar, mix on low speed to start and gradually increase speed to medium-high. Mix for 90 seconds, scraping down the bowl midway through.

3. Add vanilla and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.

4. Add all-purpose flour, mix on low speed to start and gradually increase speed to medium. Scrape down bowl and mix on low speed for another 30 seconds until the mixture is well combined.

5. Optional: if using mini chocolate chips for the entire batch, add ⅔ cup and mix on low speed until combined. If making half the batch with chocolate chips, then remove half the dough out of the bowl and add ⅓ cup of the chocolate chips instead.

6. Using a little flour in your hand to prevent sticking, make a large ball with the dough and place on cling wrap and flatten. Cover completely and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Do not skip this step.

7. Remove dough from the fridge and allow to soften enough to roll out and cut into desired shapes.

8. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to about 1/4” thickness and cut using desired cookie cutter.

9. Place the cut-outs on a lined cookie sheet with parchment paper and place back in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up again. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.   

10. Bake for 9-10 minutes until the bottom of the cookies are starting to get ever so slightly browned. Carefully lift the cookies using a spatula and place on a wire rack to cool. The cookies will feel fragile but they will become firm as they cool down.

11. Melt the candy melt or semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second intervals until completely smooth.

12. Fill a piping or ziplock bag and cut a very small tip. Flood the cookies or draw any design of your choice on the cookies.

If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to know how it turns out.
Comment below or share a photo on IG and tag @emmaya.us.

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About Me

Hi there! I’m Tahmina - mom of two girls, an engineer, a passionate baker and a creative event planner.

I’ve always enjoyed baking but became passionate about it after I had my first child. Now I combine my knowledge from working in the food industry and increased interest in food and nutrition to experiment with various ingredients and recipes.

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