Chocolate Monster Sugar Cookies

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and milk.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, dark cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms. Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
4. Shape the dough into 18 equal balls. Roll each ball in the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar to coat.
5. Gently insert a popsicle stick into the center of each dough ball. Place half of the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each.
6. Press each dough ball flat with the bottom of a glass cup until about 1/4 inch thick. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Divide the vanilla frosting into two separate bowls. Tint one bowl with orange gel food coloring until you reach your desired shade.
8. Spread the vanilla and orange frostings over the cooled cookies. Decorate with assorted candies, gummies, edible candy eyes, pretzel sticks, and sprinkles as desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days.