Jack-O’-Lantern Sugar Cookies
These buttery sugar cookies are cut into pumpkin shapes and decorated with orange, green, and black royal icing to resemble cheerful (or spooky) Jack-O’-Lanterns—perfect for Halloween parties, bake sales, or cozy nights at home.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Orange green, and black royal icing
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms; add a little flour if sticky. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness and cut out 18–20 pumpkin shapes, rerolling scraps as needed.
- Arrange cookies on the sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake for 8–10 minutes until edges are set but not browned.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating with orange, green, and black royal icing for Jack-O’-Lantern faces.