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Easy Jack Skellington Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 74 reviews

These Easy Jack Skellington Cookies are a delicious and festive treat inspired by the iconic character from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Made with dairy-free butter and simple ingredients, these sandwich cookies feature a sweet black cherry jam filling and detailed black and white icing decorations that bring Jack Skellington’s signature face to life. Perfect for Halloween or any spooky occasion!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cookies

  • 200g dairy-free block butter (cold and cubed)
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 300g all purpose/plain flour
  • Ice-water (if needed, about 1 teaspoon)

For the Filling

  • 50g black cherry jam (homemade or shop bought)

For the Icing

  • 200g icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Black food gel
  • Dairy-free milk (quantity as needed, about 2-3 teaspoons)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Cookie Dough: Cream the cold, cubed dairy-free butter and caster sugar together until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Sift in the all-purpose flour and mix to form a thick dough. If the dough feels too stiff, add ice-water one teaspoon at a time to help bring it together. You can mix by hand on a clean surface or use a food processor. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or baking paper and chill in the fridge for at least 40 minutes to 1 hour to firm up.
  2. Preheat the Oven: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 180°C fan (about 356°F). Line a baking tray with grease-proof (parchment) paper.
  3. Roll and Cut the Cookies: Once the dough is firm, roll it out on a heavily floured surface to about 1 to 1.5 cm thickness to prevent sticking. Use a circle cookie cutter to cut out rounds. For half of the cookies, cut out eye and nose shapes to create the Jack Skellington face slots. Place all the cookies on the lined baking tray.
  4. Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes. To ensure even baking, you can rotate the tray halfway through. When done, let them cool slightly on the tray before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat baking until all cookies are done.
  5. Make the Icing: In a bowl, combine icing sugar and vanilla extract. Add dairy-free milk a teaspoon at a time until you reach a thin, toothpaste-like consistency suitable for dipping. Dip the top of the cookies with the faces into the icing and allow excess to drip off. Set aside to dry completely.
  6. Decorate the Faces: Mix black food gel into some icing to create black colored icing. Transfer this to a piping bag and snip off a small tip. Pipe a large line for the mouth and smaller lines for other facial details, mimicking Jack Skellington’s iconic look.
  7. Assemble the Sandwich Cookies: Spread or pipe black cherry jam onto the plain cookies (without faces). Carefully place an iced cookie with the face on top to form a sandwich. Add just enough filling to avoid it oozing out through the cut-out eye holes or edges.
  8. Serve and Enjoy: Your Jack Skellington cookies are now ready to be served. Perfect as a Halloween treat or spooky dessert!

Notes

  • Ensure the butter is cold and cubed for easier creaming and better dough texture.
  • If the dough is crumbly, add ice-water sparingly to bring it together without making it sticky.
  • Use a heavily floured surface to prevent the dough from sticking while rolling.
  • For precise face cut-outs, a small cookie cutter or knife may be used following a template or video guide.
  • Let the icing dry fully before assembling the sandwich cookies to avoid smudging.
  • You can substitute black cherry jam with any dark berry jam for different flavor variations.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Keywords: Halloween cookies, Jack Skellington recipe, dairy-free cookies, sandwich cookies, festive cookies, black cherry jam, vegan baking

Find it online: https://zarameals.com/easy-jack-skellington-cookies-recipe/