Halloween Sugar Cookies is a modern American recipe for a classic sugar cookie (biscuit) decorated with a marzipan (almond paste) pumpkin for Halloween. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic American version of: Halloween Sugar Cookies.
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You could buy canned pumpkin for this recipe, but it's so easy to make your own pumpkin purée that there's no need to bother. Just peel and de-seed pumpkin then steam until tender. Mash with a fork then press through a fine-meshed sieve with the back of a spoon to purée.
Begin by making some marzipan (almond paste) pumpkins. Take 2/3 of the marzipan and knead to soften then work in a few drops of orange food colouring, kneading until the marzipan is a nice orange. Use the same method to colour the remaining marzipan green.
Take small pieces of the orange marzipan and shape into balls. Squash these slightly then use a knitting needle or a knife to mark the pumpkin pattern on the outside. Take the green marzipan and make a small ball. Flatten slightly and tease out a stalk in the centre. Fit the green top on each pumpkin. Set the pumpkins aside.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder into a bowl. set aside.
Soften the butter then add to a large bowl with the sugar. Cream these ingredients together until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating thoroughly to combine.
Gradually blend in the dry ingredients, until thoroughly combined. Take rounded teaspoons of the dough and roll into balls. Use your forefinger to press an indentation in the centre of each ball (this is where the marzipan pumpkin will fit later). Arrange these quite a distance apart on greased baking trays.
Transfer to the centre of an oven pre-heated to 190°C (375°C) and bake for between 8 and 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and use the back of a wooden spoon to press down on the indentation so that the marzipan pumpkin can fit. Sit the pumpkin in this depression, then allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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