Ghost Cookies
These adorable Halloween treats are nothing more than one of our favorite sugar cookie recipes ghoulishly decorated with royal icing. But don’t underestimate them—we call them a “favorite” sugar cookie for a reason. The cookie has just the right texture, slightly firm on the outside but delightfully soft on the inside (thanks to a few tablespoons of milk in the cookie dough). In addition to its perfect crisp-tender bite, the cookies are also flavored with equal parts vanilla extract and almond extract, lending the classic sugar cookie flavor. The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to three days. Once the cookies have baked and cooled, they have just the right sturdy surface for a smooth layer of royal icing. The royal icing calls for clear vanilla extract to give that extra-nostalgic flavor of childhood sugar cookies, but you can just as easily substitute pure vanilla extract. Once you make these cookies, you’ll have a trustworthy recipe to follow for any shape of sugar cookie that you want to top with royal icing.