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tree shaped cookies placed in a baking sheet.
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Halloween Trees

Spooky Halloween Trees are buttery, nutty, crisp, amazingly tender and made using only a round cookie cutter.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword halloween cookies, halloween trees
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours
Servings 15 cookies
Calories 252kcal
Author Maria Doss

Ingredients

Instructions

Cookie dough

  •  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.
  • Add minced walnuts, flour and salt. Continue mixing until it forms a dough.
    Tip: To mince walnuts, add walnuts into a food processor and process until they are finely minced.
  • 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.

Shape cookie

  • Remove dough from refrigerator, cut circles using a 3-inch round cookie cutter.
  • Place one round one a work surface and using the same cookie cutter, cut the 2 opposite sides, to make tree trunk (refer photos and video).
    Place one cut end over one end of the tree trunk, pressing slightly to adhere.
  • Using a butter knife, cut about ¼-inch slits on the bottom of the tree top to create a fringe.
  • Repeat process to shape remaining cookies and place them in a parchment lined baking sheet. Place baking sheet back into the refrigerator and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

Bake

  • Preheat oven 325°F.
  • Bake cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, or deep golden brown in color. Place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate

  • Melt chocolate chips in a microwave, until melted and smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Using a small spoon, spread some melted chocolate on the tree tops.
  • Using a tooth pick make a fringe pattern on the base of the tree top (refer photos and video).
  • Press one candy eyeball on the chocolate. Let stand until the chocolate sets.

Video

Notes

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.
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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2mg