Gingerbread Mummies & Skeletons

I couldn’t let Halloween pass without sharing my super cute gingerbread mummies and skeletons!  I mean, who doesn’t love a good soft gingerbread cookie??  These cuties are perfect when you only want to make one cookie and one icing, but you still want to have a little variety.

Bake them because they’re cute, because it’s almost Halloween, because it’ll make your house smell amazing!!!

I used a 3-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter, making these the perfect three-bite treat.  I dare you to eat just one!

Gingerbread Adapted from Martha Stewart

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup unsulfured molasses (I used Grandma’s Brand)

In a large bowl whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside. In a food processor, pulse the butter and brown sugar together until creamed. Add the egg and molasses and pulse until well combined.

Add in the flour/spice mixture all at once and pulse until everything is completely incorporated. The dough will be very sticky, but resist the urge to add more flour.

Set a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter, and spoon the dough onto it. Wrap the dough up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the next day.

When you’re ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then roll the dough 1/4 an inch thick on a lightly floured surface, and cut with cookie cutters. Place cut outs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the cookies (left on the parchment) to a wire rack to cool immediately out of the oven.

Once cool, frost with royal icing (recipe below).

For the mummy: pipe icing in a zig zag pattern with either a plain tip or a petal tip, then top with two black edible pearls for the mummy’s eyes.

For the skeletons: simply pipe a line down the body to the left leg, then pipe in the right leg.  Go back and pipe a small line across for the skull, a larger line for the arms, and a small line for the pelvic bones – the icing lines will flow into each other.  Let dry completely – about 4-5 hours (or preferably overnight) before storing in a covered container.

Enjoy!

Creamy Royal Icing Adapted from Lizy B Bakes and The Decorated Cookie

2 pounds powdered sugar

6 Tablespoons meringue powder

3/4 cup water

2 Tablespoons corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon shortening

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the powdered sugar.  Mix using the paddle attachment for about 1 minute.  In a measuring cup, add the water and meringue powder – mix together vigorously with a fork.  Let set for 10 minutes.

Then pour the meringue mixture through a sieve into the powdered sugar, blend and add the corn syrup.  Blend together on 3 for 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick, creamy, and almost doubled in size.

Then add the vanilla and shortening, beating on 3 just until combined.  Now is the time to beat in any coloring you’d like.  If I just want white, I add white coloring, if I don’t the butter from the sugar cookie turns my icing yellow.  So add the white coloring!

The icing is now ready to be scooped into icing bags, if you are piping borders!  You can also fill in the cookie using the same consistency and the lines from the piping tip will fade for the most part. This is my preferred method, because it reduces air bubbles in the icing.

However, if you need a true flooding consistency then add 2  Tablespoons of water (at a time) mixing on 1 to incorporate.  Then lift the beaters, and if the icing flows in ribbons and melts back into the bowl of icing it’s ready!  If it’s too stiff, add more water, a teaspoon at a time until you get the right consistency.