The three projects that my kids have been doing every year since they were little are these Halloween eyeball cookies, witches’ finger cookies, and blood-filled cupcakes. Well, it is simply strawberry filling filled in a chocolate cupcake with a big purple frosting on top. It’s always fun to watch the kids bite into these and have the strawberry filling ooze out.
Why make these cookies
They make perfect kids’ projects for Halloween. The base is my popular white shortbread cookie, which is as simple as playdough. It’s so easy to work with and so forgiving. The best part is that no chilling time is required between steps, which means these can be done from start to finish in about 20 minutes. My kids love painting the red veins on the eyes, and you can see that they do quite a good job. I painted only two of these cookies; the others were done by my Aadi and Rhea.
Step-by-step: Halloween eyeball cookies
Cookie Dough
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 170°C/ Gas Mark 6 In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and powdered sugarPro tip – You do not need a stand mixer for this recipe. A bowl and whisk would work great, too. Add the vanilla or rose extract, followed by the flour and cornstarch. Bring it all together into a smooth disc.Pro tip – If the dough is too dry, add a teaspoon or two of water.
For the chocolate pupils, Take a small golf-size ball of vanilla dough and combine it with the cocoa powder and butter.Pro tip – Combine well until you have a smooth, soft dough that can be rolled into a ball. If necessary, add a teaspoon of flour or cocoa powder.
Shape the eyes
Divide the white shortbread cookies into 16 equal portions to make eight pairs of eyes. Roll each portion into a ball and press down to make a flat disc, as shown in the video. Place them on a cookie tray. Leave some space between the cookies, as they will puff slightly when baking. Divide the chocolate dough into 16 small balls and flatten them. Place a pupil on each eye slightly off-centered.Pro tip – I like to place them off-center (but kids usually add them in the middle, and that’s okay, too—after all, it’s for Halloween).
Bake and paint
Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the sides begin to light color around the edges. Cool on a cooling rack until completely cold. When cooled, take red food coloring diluted with a little water. Use a fine-tipped brush and paint the veins just like you would tree roots.Pro tip – If you use water-based color, there is no need to dilute the color.
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