It’s almost Halloween! I am not usually one of those “make all sorts of crazy treats” type of person (mainly because I don’t do a whole lot for Halloween, and you aren’t supposed to give cookies/homemade stuff to strangers). At any rate, this year, we are doing a bit of a thing for work, and I am also using these upcoming treats for giveaways, so here we go. First up, Cinnamon Red Velvet Ghoulie Eye Cookies! It’s my standard crinkle cookie recipe with chocolate, cinnamon and sugar eyeballs. I added the food coloring for extra creepiness (note that you can also buy “bloodshot” eyeball candies). These are surprisingly delicious, especially is you warm them for 10 seconds in the microwave. Nice and gooey then — and who doesn’t love gooey ghoulie eyeballs!
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
3 eggs, room temperature
1-2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon red gel food coloring (you may need a little more or less)
2 cups powdered sugar
small sugar eyeball candies (the bloodshot ones, if you can find them)
Directions
In a work bowl, Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Place the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, no less than 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add in the eggs one at a time, adding the next only after the first has been fully combined. Add in the milk, the vanilla and the food coloring and beat until combined. Add in the flour and mix until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours and no more than 8.
Preheat your oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.
Place the powdered sugar in a bowl. Scoop 2-tablespoon sized mounds of dough out, roll them in the powdered sugar, and place 3-inches apart on your baking sheets. Dot with one, two or three eyeball candies (I pushed them in quite a bit). Bake for 11-13 minutes, until set but not browned. Allow to cool for 5-6 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
