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    Home » Recipes » Halloween

    Spooky Tree Cookies

    Published: Sep 12, 2017 · Modified: Feb 26, 2023 by Maria Doss · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

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    Tender, buttery, crisp, whole wheat, walnut shortbread cookies that are perfect for Halloween.

    I can't handle it. 

    Halloween is right around the corner. 

    I'm all set to dance.... around some spooky trees, that is. 

    My favorite whole wheat walnut shortbreads

    A delicious cookie with a cup of joe.

    But, can we spookify them??

    Heck yes!!!!

    The best part, no fancy cookie cutters required!

    For more detailed pictures on making the walnut shortbread cookies, click here 

     

    Coarsely grind walnuts in a mini food processor or place them in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin, until they look like this. Then, make cookie dough---->

     

    Roll dough, chill until firm and cut circles.

     

    Cut circles on two ends to look like this---> 

     

    Place one cut end over the middle part to look like this ---> (re roll the other end with scraps to make more cookies). Bake

     

    Spread melted semi-sweet chocolate over the tree top and place a candy eyeball. Let dry


    halloween cookies shaped like trees placed on a black board.

    Spooky tree cookies

    Tender, buttery, crisp, whole wheat, walnut shortbread cookies that are perfect for Halloween.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Resting time: 8 hours hours
    Total Time: 9 hours hours
    Servings: 15 cookies
    Calories: 200kcal
    Author: Maria Doss

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup walnuts
    • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
    • 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
    • 15 candy eye balls
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Cookies

    • Finely mince walnuts in a mini food processor or place them in a zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin, until no pieces are larger than ¼-inch (refer pictures). 
    • Whisk together chopped walnuts, both flours and salt in a bowl and set aside.
    •  Cream butter and sugar with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes, until creamy. (Alternatively, it can be creamed with a hand held electric beater for about 30 seconds). Add yolk and vanilla, cream for another minute. Stir in the flour mixture, until thoroughly combined. Shape dough into a disc. 
    • Roll dough between two sheets of parchment, until slightly less than ¼ inch thick. Transfer dough (along with parchment papers) onto a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (up to one day), until firm.
    • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Remove dough from refrigerator, remove top parchment, cut circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter.
    • Using the same cookie cutter, cut 2 opposite sides of the circle, making a tree trunk (refer pictures). Place one cut end over the tree trunk, to make a tree top (refer pictures). (Re roll the other cut end along with scraps to make more cookies).  
    • Using a flat spatula, gently transfer the prepared cookie dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat process to make remaining cookies. and place on the prepared baking sheet, about ½-inch apart.(Gather scraps together, roll again, chill and make more cookies). 
    • Place the baking sheet back in the  refrigerator for about 30 minutes to chill the dough. Bake cookies in the middle rack of the oven  for about 25-30 minutes, until deep golden brown. 
      Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely.

    Decorate

    • Place chocolate chips in a small microwavable bowl, microwave on high until ¾th melted (about 1-½ minutes). Stir every 20 seconds. Remove bowl from microwave and stir until full melted.
    • Using a small spoon, spread some melted chocolate on the tree tops (do not slather too much, just enough to coat will suffice). I didn't bother making it smooth, since I loved the way the swirled chocolate made it look more like a tree. But, you can smooth if you'd like.  (This cookie is a tender, delicious shortbread. So, always work with cookie on the counter to avoid breaking them).
    • Immediately, press a eyeball in the middle. Let cookies stand at room temperature, until chocolate sets.

    Notes

    Baked shortbreads (without the chocolate glaze) can be stored at room temperature, in a covered container, for several days.
    Glazed ones will last up to a day or two in a covered container. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.

    Did you make this recipe?Mention @KitchenAtHoskins or tag #kitchenathoskins!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen

      September 12, 2017 at 4:05 pm

      These are so clever, Maria! I have such a weakness for shortbread so these cuties need to happen soon in my kitchen!

      Reply
      • Maria Doss

        September 12, 2017 at 4:52 pm

        Thanks dear:)

        Reply
    2. Ashika @ Gardening Foodie

      September 12, 2017 at 7:29 pm

      These are the cutest little spooky trees,I have seen.My little niece will absolutely adore these little treats. I love the recipe, really yummy!

      Reply
      • Maria Doss

        September 12, 2017 at 7:46 pm

        Thank you so much Ashika. I'm sure she'll love them:)

        Reply
    3. Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats

      September 12, 2017 at 8:04 pm

      So cute!!!! And these cookies sound so yummy too 🙂 xoxo

      Reply
    4. Kaylie | Healthy Hacks

      September 12, 2017 at 9:22 pm

      What an adorable idea! I love the mix of walnuts and whole wheat flour, too 🙂

      Reply
      • Maria Doss

        September 13, 2017 at 3:40 am

        Thank you so much:)

        Reply
    5. Vanitha

      September 13, 2017 at 2:02 pm

      These look so cute and very creative! Love shortbread, that too with WWF! I have to make these, but without the candy eyeballs 🙁 Love your imagination!

      Reply
      • Maria Doss

        September 13, 2017 at 2:57 pm

        Thank you so much Vanitha. I love the rustic look of whole wheat flour, that looked more tree like.

        Reply
      • Maria Doss

        September 14, 2017 at 5:20 am

        Thanks Vanitha. Eyeballs make it Halloweeny!!!

        Reply
      • Maria Doss

        September 18, 2017 at 12:22 pm

        Thank you very much Vanitha

        Reply
    6. Deepika|TheLoveOfCakes

      September 15, 2017 at 4:07 pm

      Wow! So creative!! These spooky tree cookies are so much fun to make! And I have never tried walnut flour in shortbread cookie dough.. Sounds yummy!

      Reply

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    Hi I'm Maria, the recipe developer, photographer, and videographer behind this food blog. Here you’ll find simple everyday recipes that pack in serious flavors, with a sprinkling of creative twists to familiar dishes. I also focus on including an overview of why the recipe works, valuable tips, step-by-step photos, and videos to guide you along the way.
    About Maria ->

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