2½cupsall-purpose flour or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour
¼teaspoonbaking powder
¼teaspoonbaking soda
1cupgranulated sugar
1cup (2 sticks)cold unsalted butter
Black Royal Icing
⅓cupcocoa powder
4cupsicing sugarabout 1 pound
3Tablespoonsmeringue powder
½cupwarm water
Instructions
How To Make The Cookies
In a small bowl, beat the egg. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract and ¾ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine 2½ cups of flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon baking powder. Set aside.
Cut up 1 cup (2 sticks) of COLD butter into chunks.
Mix in the food processor with 1 cup sugar until the sugar is combined, about 30 seconds.
Add in the egg mixture and process until combined, about 10 seconds.
Then add the flour mixture and process until all of the flour is mixed in, about 30 seconds.
Divide the dough in half to make it easier to roll.
Lay out a large sheet of parchment paper.
Put one ball of dough in the center of the parchment.
Lay another sheet of parchment paper over the top.
Push the ball flat with your hands. Then use the rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick.
Put the rolled out dough on a cookie sheet or tray, still keeping the parchment paper on both sides.
Repeat the parchment paper and rolling process with the other ball of dough.
Stack it on top of the first sheet on the tray.
Refrigerate the rolled out dough for 1 1/2 hours, or freeze for 30 minutes.
Take the first sheet of cookie dough out of the refrigerator.
Peel off the top layer of parchment paper.
Use the bat cookie cutters to make the shapes in the cookie dough.
Put the rolled cookie dough back in the refrigerator.
Repeat the process with the second sheet of cookie dough.
Refrigerate for another 30 minutes or until the dough is stiff.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Use a metal spatula to separate the cookies from the bottom layer of parchment paper.
Put a piece of parchment paper down on a cookie sheet.
Then lay out the cookies about ½ inch apart.
Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, until the bottom of the cookies are slightly brown.
Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.
Then move to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Repeat the baking process with the other sheet of cut-out cookies.
Roll out the extra dough to make another batch of cookies.
How To Make Black Royal Icing
Mix ⅓ cup cocoa powder, 4 cups icing sugar and 3 Tablespoons meringue powder with a whisk attachment in a stand mixer on low speed.
Mix in ½ cup of WARM water on low speed for a few seconds.
Increase to medium speed.
Mix for 3 to 5 minutes until the icing forms soft peaks.
Test the consistency of the icing. A cut made through it should close in about 15 seconds. If it takes longer than that, add a few drops of water. If it closes faster, beat it a little while longer. Repeat the testing process until it is at the right consistency.
Stir in a little bit of black gel food coloring by hand.
If it still looks too light, add a little more food coloring. It should be a dark grey color since it will get darker as it dries.
How To Decorate Halloween Bat Sugar Cookies
Option 1 - Small Bat Cookies
Outline the edge of the bat with the black icing in a piping bag with a #4 tip.
Flood (fill in) the middle.
Stick two red sugar pearls into the icing near the top of the bat's head for the eyes.
Let the cookies sit for at least 6 hours to let the icing dry.
Option 2 - Larger Bat Cookies
Outline the middle section of the bat with black icing using a #4 piping tip.
Then flood (fill in) the middle of your outline.
Stick two candy eyes on the icing near the top of the bat's head
Cover the rest of the wet icing with black sprinkles.
Pipe the black icing around the edges of the bat's wings.
Fill in the wings with black icing.
Let the cookies sit for at least 6 hours to give the icing time to try.
Notes
Using cold butter and refrigerating the dough makes sure that the cookies hold their shape
Putting the dough back in the refrigerator after cutting the shapes will make them much easier to transfer to the cookie sheet without wrecking them.
If you find the cookie dough has warmed up enough that they are losing their shape when you move them, put them back in the refrigerator for a few minutes until the dough gets stiff again.
Roll the cookie dough evenly thick all the way around since this will make the cookies bake evenly.
Rimless cookie sheets work best for even baking since they allow for even airflow.
Add in the black food coloring a little at a time. Use as little as possible to prevent the icing from tasting too bitter.
For the best black, let the icing sit over night to let the color set. It will take on a much darker color. To make sure it doesn't dry out, cover it with plastic wrap that is pushed down so that it is directly touching the icing.
For Small Batches Of Icing
Mix the icing as directed omitting the cocoa powder.
Put some of the mixed white icing into a separate bowl.
Mix in 2 to 4 teaspoons of cocoa powder per cup of white icing.
Add in black gel food coloring a little at a time until the icing turns a dark grey color
Test for consistency as directed above. A few extra drops of water may be needed to thin the icing out.
How To Store Bat Cookies
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days, or in the refrigerator for about a week.You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.To keep your cookies looking their best, place a layer of parchment paper between each layer of cookies.