Frosted Halloween Sugar Cookies

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt. Set aside.
3. In a larger bowl, beat ½ cup (1 stick) room-temperature unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.
4. Add 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and ¼ tsp almond extract, then beat for 20 seconds.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing on low for 1 minute. The dough will be crumbly; switch to a spatula and work it together until it forms a cohesive dough.
6. Use a cookie scoop to form balls (about 2.5–3 tbsp each for large cookies). Place them 2–3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet, flatten slightly with your palm, and bake for 13–15 minutes. For smaller cookies, reduce baking time to 10–12 minutes.
7. Let the cookies cool completely before frosting.
8. For the frosting, beat ½ cup (1 stick) room-temperature unsalted butter, 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, and ½ tsp vanilla extract with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 1–2 minutes.
9. Add black gel food coloring (I used Wilton) and mix until the color is even.
10. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cookies and add sprinkles such as orange nonpareils, skeleton bones, and candy eyeballs.
11. Tip: For a deeper black, make the frosting 24 hours ahead and let it sit covered at room temperature; the color will darken.