Candle Cookies

chocolate cookies in the shape of candles placed in a grey tray.

These Candle Cookies use buttery, crisp chocolate shortbread and are shockingly easy to make. They are fun, creative and impressive, and no cookie cutters are needed.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword candle cookies, halloween cookies

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 30

Resting time 4

Servings cookies

Calories 95kcal

Author Maria Doss

Equipment

Ingredients

For the cookies

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
¼ cup + 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature), 1 stick
½ cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons milk, or more if needed
18 sliced almonds, as needed

For the icing

Instructions

Make cookies

Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt in a small bowl.
Finish dough. Combine butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract in a larger bowl. Beat with an electric beater until smooth and creamy, about one minute. Add the combined flour mixture and 2 teaspoon milk; beat on medium speed until it looks crumbly. Using your hands, gently knead the dough a few times until it comes together into a smooth ball.
👉 Check the consistency: Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough between your palms to form a ball. It should hold together into a firm, smooth ball without any cracks. If you notice cracks, mix in 1 teaspoon more milk and check again.
Shape candles. Pinch off about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a thick log. Gently roll the log across a wire rack with very little pressure, elongating it to about 3 inches while creating a decorative pattern. I like to roll it in different directions to create a pretty, textured design.
Finish candles. Insert a sliced almond into one end of each log to create the candle wick. Repeat with the remaining dough, then arrange the shaped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to help the cookies firm up.
👉 Arrange the cookies so the almonds are toward the center of the baking sheet. This helps keep the exposed almonds from browning too much while baking.
Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the cookies for about 25 minutes, until firm to the touch and darker in color. Let them cool completely before decorating.

Decorate

Make icing. Stir together the confectioners’ sugar, 3 teaspoons water, vanilla extract, and enough gel food coloring to achieve a deep red color. The icing should be very thick but still able to drip slowly down the cookies. If it feels too thick, mix in a little more water, a few drops at a time.
Decorate. Stand the cookies upright, then drizzle icing around the sliced almond so it slowly runs down the cookie like melted wax. Let the icing sit for a few hours to fully harden before serving.
👉 To keep the candle cookies upright while decorating, fill a pan with uncooked rice, lentils, coffee beans, or raw sugar. Gently insert the cookies into the filling so they stand securely.

Notes

Food coloring – Use gel food coloring rather than liquid. Gel gives you a deeper, more vibrant color without adding extra liquid to the icing.

Customize the color – Easily change the icing color to match different holidays or occasions. Try red or green for Christmas, or pink and red for Valentine’s Day.

Prevent the almonds from browning – Arrange the cookies so the sliced almonds are toward the center of the baking sheet. This helps protect the exposed almonds from getting too dark while baking.

Storage – Once the icing has completely hardened, store the decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition