Halloween Trees

Why you'll love this recipe?

1. Unique and creative Halloween cookie.
2. No special tools needed. All you need is a basic round cookie cutter.
3. Crisp, tender and melt in your mouth texture.
4. Mildly sweet.

1. Walnuts - Walnuts add an earthy flavor.
2. Butter – Use softened room temperature butter to ensure proper creaming.
3. All purpose flour – All purpose flour helps bind the minced walnuts.
4. Sugar – Just half a cup of sugar makes the Halloween trees mildly sweet.
5. Egg - I use just the yolk for richness and tenderness.
6. Chocolate chips - Melted chocolate helps stick the candy eyeball to the Halloween trees.
7. Candy eyes - I used large candy eyes from Amazon. You can find similar ones from Michels, Joanns or cake decorating stores.

Make cookie dough

1 & 2. Cream butter and sugar using an electric beater for about 1 minute or until smooth and creamy. Add yolk and vanilla, cream for another minute.

3. Add minced walnuts, flour and salt.

4. Continue mixing until it forms a dough.

Tip: To mince walnuts, add walnuts into a food processor and process until they are finely minced.

5.Shape dough into a flat disc and roll between two sheets of parchment paper, 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. Cut circles using a 3-inch round cookie cutter.

Shape cookies

6 & 7. Place one round one a work surface and using the same cookie cutter, cut the 2 opposite sides, to make tree trunk.

8. Place one cut end over one end of the tree trunk, pressing slightly to adhere.

9. Using a butter knife, cut about ¼-inch slits on the bottom of the tree top to create a fringe.

Chill cookies and bake at 325 degrees, until golden brown.

Decorate

10 & 11. Using a small spoon, spread some melted chocolate on the tree tops.

12. Using a tooth pick make a fringe pattern on the base of the tree top.

13. Press one candy eyeball on the chocolate. Let stand until chocolate sets.

How to store?

Halloween trees can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

If you'd like to store them for a longer period, then freeze the baked cookies, without any chocolate for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and then decorate.

Helpful tips

• Chill dough – I recommend chilling both the rolled dough and shaped Halloween trees for several hours, which gives ample time for the dough to firm up before baking.
• Chop walnuts very fine - Ensure that no walnut pieces are larger than ¼-inch , avoiding coarse pieces and preventing making them into a fine powder.