Description
Ghost Cookies are soft-batch cream cheese cookies shaped like cute ghosts, decorated with smooth buttercream frosting and sanding sugar for a festive Halloween treat. These American-style cookies have a tender texture achieved by chilling the dough, and detailed decorating with piped frosting eyes, mouth, and cheeks make them adorable and delicious for celebrations or parties.
Ingredients
Scale
Soft-Batch Cream Cheese Cookies
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (170g)
- 1/2 cup or 4 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temperature (113g)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature (56g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch (8g)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (2g)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
Buttercream Frosting for Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (12g)
- 1/4 tsp fine salt (2g)
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (454g or 1 lb. box)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (60g)
Decorations
- 1 cup coarse sanding sugar
- Black, 4mm round sprinkles (optional)
- Black strand sprinkles
- Pink gel food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add granulated sugar and mix on medium-high for a few minutes until lighter in color. Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this flour mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed just until combined. Scrape the bowl as needed. The dough will be sticky.
- Chill the Dough: Divide dough in half, flatten into rectangles about 1/2 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, freezer for 30 minutes, or overnight. If overnight, let rest 10 minutes at room temperature before rolling.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) about 30 minutes before baking. Line two large baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Remove one dough portion from fridge/freezer; place plastic wrap on counter and unwrap dough on top. Dust dough and rolling pin with flour. Roll dough to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut ghost shapes using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter or a sharp knife. Brush excess flour off cookies and place them about 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
- Chill Cut Cookies: Chill cut cookies in fridge for 15 minutes or freezer for 5 minutes to help maintain shape during baking.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake one sheet at a time on the top oven rack for 12-14 minutes, watching closely to prevent browning edges. Remove when edges are just set. Let cookies cool on baking sheet 15 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Reuse Scraps: Knead scraps together, wrap in plastic, and chill to roll out again. Repeat rolling, cutting, chilling, and baking with remaining dough and scraps.
- Make Buttercream Frosting: Beat butter on medium speed with paddle till smooth (about 30 seconds). Add vanilla and salt, mixing on low. Gradually add powdered sugar and heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Scrape bowl as needed. Adjust consistency by adding cream or powdered sugar gradually.
- Color Frosting: Scoop 1/4 cup frosting into small bowl, tint with pink gel coloring, and fill small piping bag fitted with small round tip or cut 1/2 cm opening. Place remaining frosting into larger piping bag fitted with medium round tip or cut 1 cm opening.
- Decorate Cookies: Pour white sanding sugar into bowl. Pipe layer of frosting onto one cookie, then press cookie into sanding sugar to coat frosting evenly. Use black round sprinkles or mini chocolate chips for eyes, black strand sprinkles for mouth, and pipe pink cheeks with pink frosting. Repeat for all cookies.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 36 cookies sized 2 1/2 inches each; yield and bake times vary with cookie cutter size.
- You can halve the recipe for fewer cookies; doubling is not recommended except with commercial 8 qt. mixer.
- Store frosted cookies in airtight container up to 2 days at room temperature, 5 days refrigerated, or 1 month frozen.
- Stack chilled cookies with parchment paper layers to prevent sticking, as buttercream firms but does not harden like royal icing.
- Cookie dough freezes well up to 1 month; thaw in fridge overnight before rolling.
- Baked, unfrosted cookies also freeze well; frost after fully thawed at room temperature.
- Roll dough to consistent thickness (1/3 inch) to ensure even baking; avoid overworking dough to keep cookies tender.
- Do not overbake; cookies continue baking slightly after removal from oven.
- Decorating options for ghost faces can be adapted using fondant or black buttercream if sprinkles are unavailable.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
