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Perfect Black Cat Sugar Cookies Easy Halloween Treat

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These black cat sugar cookies are a delightful Halloween treat, combining a buttery, not-too-sweet cookie with a glossy royal icing. They are perfect for decorating and make a charming addition to any spooky celebration.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 6–8 tablespoons warm water
  • Black gel food coloring
  • Orange gel food coloring (optional)
  • White sanding sugar or edible glitter (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make the Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), and beat until combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until the dough comes together. It wi…
  2. Chill the Dough: Divide the dough into two equal discs, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and flatten them into a disc shape. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
  3. Roll and Cut: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about ¼-inch (6mm) thickness. Use your cat-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between each. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and cut more cookies.
  4. Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just barely set and the bottoms are lightly golden. The centers should look dry but not brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. Make the Royal Icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. With the mixer on low, add 6 tablespoons of warm water. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 5-7 minutes, until the icing is glossy, stiff, and forms a stiff peak when you lift the whisk. If it’s too thick, add the remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
  6. Color and Thin the Icing: Divide the icing into two bowls. Color one large portion with black gel food coloring until you reach your desired shade. Color a small portion orange if you like. For the flood consistency, take a small amount of the stiff black icing and add water, ¼ teaspoon at a time, stirring gently with a spatula. The goal is a consistency that flows like thick syrup and smooths out within 10 seconds after you stir it.
  7. Decorate the Cookies: Fit a piping bag with a #2 tip and fill it with your stiff black icing. Outline the entire cat cookie. Let the outline dry for about 5 minutes. Then, fill a new piping bag with your flood-consistency black icing and snip off a tiny tip. Pipe the flood icing inside the outlines, using a toothpick to guide it into all the nooks and crannies. Pop any air bubbles with a toothpick. While the black icing is still wet, use the stiff orange icing to pipe a small pumpkin or a moon n…
  8. Let the Icing Set: Allow the cookies to dry, uncovered, at room temperature for at least 6-8 hours, or overnight. The icing should be completely hard and smooth to the touch before you stack or store them.

Notes

Chilling the dough is crucial to prevent spreading. For the royal icing, ensure the cookies are completely cool before decorating. The icing sets hard, making these cookies stackable and giftable.

Nutrition

Keywords: black cat sugar cookies, Halloween cookies, sugar cookies, royal icing cookies, easy Halloween treat, decorated cookies

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