Calavera Sugar Skull Cookies

When you need a great activity for the kids to celebrate Halloween in the age of Covid…make a batch of Calavera Sugar Skull Cookies!  Sugar cookies, flavored with almond and vanilla, rolled fondant, and edible markers make this a delicious and easy Halloween project.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

A plate of Calavera Sugar Skull Cookies - skull shaped cookies with a fondant icing and decorated to resemble the colorful Mexican Day Of The Dead skulls. As pretty as they are tasty.

With so many neighborhoods canceling holiday festivities and no parties to go to this year, it’s a challenge as to what to do to occupy the kids and celebrate the holiday.  This recipe could be our saving grace!  And using edible markers to decorate the cookies will save a ton of cleanup!

WHAT ARE CALAVERA SUGAR SKULLS?

Here is my simplistic explanation.  Calavera Sugar Skulls are a Mexican tradition for a holiday called ‘Dia de Muertos’ or ‘Day of the Dead’.  The skulls are created to place on an altar or on the headstone of a grave to honor and memorialize loved ones.

For the whole history, this page has all the information.  This site also has gorgeous coloring pages with the meanings of the colors used.  It will help inspire you and the kids.

A plate of Calavera Sugar Skull Cookies - skull shaped cookies with a fondant icing and decorated to resemble the colorful Mexican Day Of The Dead skulls. As pretty as they are tasty.

WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?

  • First, we need all the ingredients for the sugar cookies – butter, sugar, cream, almond and vanilla extracts, eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Pretty much what you would expect for making cookies.
  • Fondant – buy the one pre-mixed in a tub.  It gets rolled out like the cookie dough, cut with the same cookie cutters, and ‘glued’ on the cookie.  Less messy than making royal icing and icing the cookies, then waiting for it to dry before decorating them.
  • Corn syrup – this is the ‘glue’ to hold the fondant onto the cookie
  • Edible marker – these are a brilliant way to allow the kids to color a design onto the cookies.  Again, much less messy and easier for little hands to work their magic.

Here are a few more Halloween kitchen projects to share with the kids:

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
A plate of Calavera Sugar Skull Cookies - skull shaped cookies with a fondant icing and decorated to resemble the colorful Mexican Day Of The Dead skulls. As pretty as they are tasty.

CALAVERA SUGAR SKULL COOKIES


Description

When you need a great activity for the kids to celebrate Halloween in the age of Covid…make a batch of Calavera Sugar Skull Cookies!  Sugar cookies, flavored with almond and vanilla, rolled fondant, and edible markers make this a delicious and easy Halloween project.


Ingredients

Scale

1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted ice-cold butter, sliced into cubes

2 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 pound package white fondant

Powdered sugar, for dusting surface before rolling cookie dough and fondant

Corn syrup

Edible markers


Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, turn the mixer on a medium-high speed and beat the cold butter cubes and sugar together until light in color and creamy.

Pour in the heavy cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg.

Reduce the mixer speed to low.

Next, add the flour. Baking powder, and salt.  Mix slowly until all ingredients are well incorporated and a thick dough has formed.  If the dough is sticky, add more flour, a teaspoon at a time.

Lightly dust a large cutting board or flat surface with powdered sugar.

Remove half of the dough from the mixer bowl and shape it into a ball on the sugared surface.

Roll the dough out until it is ¼-inch thick.

Use your cookie cutter to cut the skulls into the dough.  

Place the skulls on the prepared baking sheet, about 1-inch apart.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 7 – 9 minutes until they start to turn golden around the edges.

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

On the same flat surface that you rolled out the cookie dough, dust it again with powdered sugar.

Knead the fondant until it’s pliable and then roll out on the dusted surface until it is very thin.

Use the same cookie cutter to cut out the skulls – one for each cookie.  

When the cookies are cool, use a silicone pastry brush to brush a very thin coating of corn syrup on the cookie.  This will act as the glue for the white skull ‘icing’.

Lay a fondant skull on top and use a small fondant roller or drinking glass to lightly smooth it out.

Repeat with the remaining cookies and skull ‘icing’.

Use the edible markers to draw on the decorations on each cookie.

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes + decorating time
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: calavera sugar skull cookies, sugar cookies, decorated sugar cookies, dessert recipes, fondant, kid friendly recipes, Halloween, Day Of The Dead

Please follow and like us:
Yum