https://cyrusramsey.com/vanilla-mummy-shortbread-cookies-white-chocolate/
Ingredients
Cookies and decoration
- 170 g unsalted butter (3/4 cup), softened but not melted
- 75 g powdered sugar (about 2/3 cup), for the dough
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 240 g all-purpose flour (2 cups, spooned and leveled)
- 30 g powdered sugar (1/4 cup), for coating the cooled cookies
- 100 g white chocolate baking bar (about 3 1/2 oz), finely chopped
- 48 mini semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 teaspoons), for eyes
Method
Recipe by Heather Schiefelbein.
- Mix the dough. Line two 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Beat the butter and 75 g powdered sugar on low until smooth, about 1 minute; avoid whipping in lots of air. Mix in vanilla and salt, then flour just until clumps hold when squeezed. Press the dough together by hand without kneading.
- Shape and chill. Divide into 24 roughly equal pieces, about 20 g each. Press each into a rounded finger about 3 inches long, 1 inch wide and 3/8 inch thick. Arrange 12 per sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Refrigerate 30 minutes until firm. While they chill, heat the oven to 325°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
- Bake. Bake both sheets 16–20 minutes, swapping their positions and turning them halfway through. The tops should look dry and set and the bottom edges just light golden. If one tray finishes first, remove it. Leave on the sheets 10 minutes, then transfer carefully to racks and cool fully, about 20 minutes more.
- Coat and melt. Sift the remaining 30 g powdered sugar over the fully cooled cookies on parchment. Melt white chocolate in a completely dry microwave-safe bowl at 50% power in 20-second bursts, stirring each time, stopping when a few soft pieces remain; stir smooth. Keep water out and let it cool a minute if very runny.
- Decorate. Spoon the chocolate into a small piping bag or food-safe bag and snip a tiny corner. Pipe loose zigzags across each cookie for bandages, leaving a little space near one end. Use two small dots of chocolate to attach two mini chips as eyes. Let set in a cool room about 20 minutes. Serve only the cookies; decorative spiders and fabric are not edible.
Serving, useful notes and storage
Equipment: kitchen scale, mixer or sturdy spoon, two 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheets, parchment, cooling racks, dry microwave-safe bowl, and small piping bag. With one sheet, bake in two rounds; keep the second half chilled and allow about 20 extra minutes.
Make whole 24-cookie batches; one dessert portion is 2 cookies. For a larger group, prepare separate original-size batches and bake in rounds. Do not extend baking time just because more portions are needed.
Store completely cooled, set cookies airtight in a cool, dry room for up to 3 days for best texture. Separate layers with parchment. These cookies have no cream filling or perishable frosting; do not add one and keep the same storage advice.
Flour is a raw ingredient: do not taste raw dough. Wash hands and clean bowls and surfaces after handling it. Contains wheat and milk; chocolate may contain soy or other allergens, so check package labels.
Photo is serving inspiration, not a kitchen test. This original recipe received an editorial proportions, timing and ingredient-use review; it has not been physically baked or taste-tested.
Photo: DS stories / Pexels · Pexels License. Serving inspiration; recipe developed independently.
Party pairing: Halloween Finger Hot Dogs with Ketchup. Serve the dessert separately after the savory main.