Swamp Monster Shortbread Halloween Cookies

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 160°C (Gas mark 2/325°F) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat together 250g butter and 125g sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Sift in 375g plain flour, add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and whisk again until a dough forms.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1cm thick. Use a fluted cookie cutter to cut out circles and carefully place them on the prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake for roughly 15 minutes, until the shortbread turns a light golden color.
6. Let the baked cookies rest on the trays for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Once the shortbread is fully cool, prepare the green icing.
8. Sift 200g icing sugar into a bowl, add 25ml water, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Mix in green gel food coloring until the icing is a vibrant green. If needed, add a little more water to reach a spreadable but not too runny consistency.
9. Drop a small spoonful of icing onto each cookie and spread it to the edges with the back of the spoon. Let it drip over the sides for a swampy look.
10. Work quickly to decorate the cookies with Haribo trick or treat sweets and edible candy eyeballs, pressing them gently into the icing so they stick.
11. Allow the icing to dry and set completely before serving or storing.