Halloween Bone Cookies Recipe is made without cookie cutters! It is fun, easy, unique to make from scratch at home, great baking project for kids and is safe for humans.
Halloween Bone Cookies
If you are familiar around here, then you might be aware of our love affair with Halloween. The costumes, candies, haunted attractions, corn mazes, trick-or-treating are so much fun and the most favorite of all has got to be the foods like Mummy Cookies for Halloween, Skull Cookies, Halloween Mice treats or the Witch Clementines.
We kick start this spooky season with a bloody biscuits. These are so much fun to make, eggless, don't need any special cutters, easy and safe for humans. Bone biscuits are generally associated with our four legged friends, but this recipe is made for humans and not for dogs.
Why You'll Love This?
- Fun to make - This is a great baking project for kids since it is more like playing with play dough. They get to create fun bone shapes and customize them how ever they like.
- Quick and Easy - It is a basic dough recipe made with no eggs which is no fuss!
- No cookie cutter needed - We love recipes that does not need any fancy ingredients or special cookie cutters required.
- Creative - This recipe screams creative! It is a unique and unlike any biscuit recipes you'll find on the web.
- Made from scratch - This homemade recipe is made from scratch just like all our dessert recipes, but it is easy enough for kids to make.
What Food coloring To Use?
We recommend using Gel food coloring (I used Wilton's Red Gel) and not liquid. Although both will work, you will need to use a lot of liquid coloring to get the deep blood like color which might end up making the icing liquidy.
So gel works best since a little goes along way. You can easily find red gel food coloring in most major US grocery stores, Michels, Joanns or Amazon.
How much coloring will I need? Approximately half an ounce, which is about half the container.
Dough Consistency
You want the dough to be slightly firm but not soft. Very firm dough will result in hard biscuits whereas soft dough make them spread a while baking and it make the bone shapes more flatter and not as perfectly shaped.
The best part of this recipe is that it is forgiving. So, if you find the dough crumbling when being rolled then mix few drops of milk OR few teaspoons of additional flour if the dough feels soft when rolling.
TROUBLE SHOOTING
Cookies expand while baking - The dough was not firm enough or dough was not chilled until firm. Quick fix - Take a peak after about 10 minutes of baking time and if you notice that they are expanding, then remove baking sheet from the oven and GENTLY press the middle log with your finger tips (the baking sheet will be hot, so work with caution) and then continue baking.
INGREDIENTS
This recipe is based off eggless butter cookie dough, so it requires all pantry ingredients along with some red food coloring.
- Butter - Unsalted room temperature butter
- All purpose flour - Unbleached
- Confectioners sugar - Confectioners sugar has a small amount corn starch, which helps in a making a tender cookie when compared to using regular sugar.
- Flavorings - Vanilla extract and salt
- Red food Color - It is important to use Gel food coloring
PRO TIPS
- Chill - We recommend chilling shaped dough overnight, which gives ample time for it to firm up before baking.
- Don't shape smooth cookies - Few cracks, slightly broken bones, uneven surfaces with a few dents are perfect in making a creepy biscuits.
HOW TO MAKE?
This recipe is a fairly easy one but is divided into several steps. You need to begin the previous day to make the cookie dough, since it needs to be chilled overnight before baking. (We have included step-by-step pictures to guide you along the way)
Make Dough
Step-1: Cream butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla extract and salt together, until smooth and fluffy.
Step-2: Mix in flour and a touch of milk to get a smooth and firm dough.
Shape
Step-1: Working with one tablespoon measure dough, roll into a 2 to 3 inch size log.
Step-2: Working with another tablespoon measure dough, make two thick logs and pinch them to get the bone shape at the end of the first log. Pinch seams to adhere.
Step-3: Repeat process to make remaining biscuits. Place shaped ones on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill overnight.
Bake
Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until deep golden on the bottom and golden brown tops. Cool completely.
HOW TO DECORATE
Step-1: Mix confectioners sugar, red food coloring and a dash of water to make a blood colored icing with dripping consistency.
Step-2: Using fork or a spoon, randomly drizzle icing on top to give a bloody effect.
Step-3: Let icing set for a few hours before serving.
HOW TO STORE?
After Icing - Can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Without Icing - Can be stored is tightly sealed container or zip lock at room temperature for up to 10 days.
CAN THIS BE FROZEN?
Sure can! These can be made ahead one to two months ahead before the big day and frozen in a freezer safe zip lock bag. But, make sure that they are frozen without any icing or decoration.
Leave them overnight at room temperature to thaw, decorate with blood icing and then store after icing sets.
More HALLOWEEN Recipes for Kids
- No Bake Mice <---- Healthy too!
- Skull Chips and Bloody Salsa
- Halloween Pizza
- Witch Clementines
- Skull Cookies <---- Cute
Follow me on INSTAGRAM, TIK TOK, FACEBOOK or PINTEREST for more delicious recipes.
Halloween Bone Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 to 4 teaspoons milk
Bloody Icing
- ½ cup confectioners sugar
- Red gel food coloring as needed
Instructions
- Add butter, confectioners sugar (½ cup + 2 tablespoons), vanilla extract and salt into a medium bowl and beat with hand held electric beater for a minute, until smooth and creamy.
- (Alternatively, mix by hand using a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes)
- Add flour and about 2 teaspoons of milk, mix with a spoon, until the dough comes together. The dough should be firm (but not too firm) and not soft, so add milk as needed.
- (Tip - If dough feels very soft, then mix a couple of tablespoons additional flour)
Shape
- Working with about 1 tablespoon measure cookie dough, roll into a ball and then shape into a 2 to 3 inch log.
- Working with another 1 tablespoon measure cookie dough, divide dough in half, roll each half into a very thick log and then shape into bone ends (refer pictures). Pinch dough ends onto the first log to get the shape of a bone. Pinch seems to stick together.Tip - Don't try to make a perfect smooth shape, few cracks, scraggy and uneven surface is better.
- Repeat process to make remaining bones and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about an inch apart.
- Place baking sheet in the refrigerator overnight (or several hours).
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake cookies for 23 to 28 minutes (rotate pan halfway through baking) or until golden brown. Place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate
- Add confectioners sugar (½ cup), about 1 teaspoon water and red food coloring (use as needed) to make blood colored icing of dripping consistency (adjust water and food color as needed).
- Using a small spoon, sparingly drizzle icing (be very random) on the cookies. Let rest for couple of hours or until icing is set.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third party calculations, should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types, brands purchased, produce, the way ingredients are processed and more change the nutritional information in any recipe.
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