Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (melted for the “house” silhouettes)
- Purple and orange royal icing or buttercream
- Candy eyes, ghost-shaped sprinkles, and candy corn
- Black decorating gel
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal. Spray the parchment lightly with non-stick cooking spray to ensure the bars release perfectly after cooling.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla extract. Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing on low speed until a crumbly dough forms. Press the dough firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan using your fingers or the back of a spoon.
- Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookie base cool completely in the pan. This is crucial, as decorating a warm cookie will cause your “haunted houses” to melt into a spooky mess.
- Melt the dark chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Transfer the chocolate to a piping bag with a small round tip. Once the cookie slab is cool, pipe several “haunted house” shapes across the surface. Think jagged roofs, crooked chimneys, and spooky towers. Allow the chocolate to set firmly at room temperature or in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Fill in the gaps between the chocolate houses with purple or orange icing to represent a sunset or a spooky sky. Use the black decorating gel to add window and door details to your houses. Place candy eyes in the “sky” like staring owls or monsters, and scatter ghost sprinkles around the houses. Once the decorations are set, lift the slab out of the pan using the parchment paper and cut into 16 squares.
- Cook Time: 55 minutes