Description
These Witch Hat Cookies are a fun and festive treat perfect for Halloween. Chocolate cookie bases are rolled in sugar and baked to a soft perfection, then topped with colorful frosting and a Hershey’s Kiss to create adorable witch hats. Decorated with sprinkles, these cookies are sure to delight kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (21g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 1 stick, softened
- ½ cup (99g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (107g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (66g) granulated sugar, for rolling
For the Frosting
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (1/2 cup)
- 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring
- Hershey’s Kisses
- Halloween sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and mix dry ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a separate mixing bowl, cream the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together using a mixer on low speed until combined and smooth.
- Add egg and vanilla: Add in the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture, mixing again on low speed until incorporated.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low or stirring by hand just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Shape and coat dough balls: Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to form tablespoon-sized balls from the dough. Roll dough between your hands to form uniform balls, then roll each ball in ⅓ cup granulated sugar.
- Arrange and bake cookies: Place the sugared dough balls 2-3 inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 11 minutes.
- Cool cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake one sheet at a time for best results.
- Prepare frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.
- Color frosting: Divide the frosting into separate bowls and tint each with gel food coloring as desired.
- Assemble witch hats: Transfer the colored frosting to a piping or sandwich bag with the corner cut off. Pipe a dollop of frosting onto the center of each cooled cookie. Press a Hershey’s Kiss into the frosting, allowing the frosting to squish out slightly around the edges.
- Add sprinkles and finish: Decorate with Halloween sprinkles as desired. Repeat this process until all cookies are frosted and decorated.
Notes
- For softer cookies, do not overbake; remove from oven as soon as edges are set.
- You can substitute Hershey’s Kisses with mini chocolate cones or other small candies for different variations.
- Use gel food coloring to prevent frosting from becoming too runny.
- Rolling dough balls in sugar creates a nice crunchy texture on the outside of cookies.
- Cool cookies completely before applying frosting to prevent melting.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
