Spooky Halloween Trees

Name: Spooky Halloween Trees
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 24 cookies
Ingredients: Cookie; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup Land O Lakes® Butter softened; 3/4 cup sugar; 1 large Land O Lakes® Egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla; Frosting; 2 cups powdered sugar; 1/4 cup Land O Lakes® Butter softened; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3 to 4 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Half & Half; Decorations; Black licorice twists; Halloween sprinkles and/or decorator sugars, if desired

Make frosting and decorating these cookies a family event.

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1 hr

Prep Time

03 hrs 20 min

Total Time

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Ingredients

1 ¹/₂ cups all-purpose flour

¹/₄ cup unsweetened cocoa

¹/₂ teaspoon baking powder

¹/₂ teaspoon baking soda

¹/₄ teaspoon salt

¹/₂ cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened

³/₄ cup sugar

1 large Land O Lakes® Egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

¹/₄ cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

¹/₄ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 to 4 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Half & Half

Decorations

Black licorice twists

Halloween sprinkles and/or decorator sugars, if desired

How to make

STEP 1

Combine all frosting ingredients in bowl, adding enough half & half for desired spreading consistency. Beat at low speed until well mixed.
STEP 2

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl; set aside.
STEP 3

Combine 1/2 cup butter and sugar in bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well mixed.
STEP 4

Divide dough in half. Shape each half into ball; flatten slightly. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours or until firm.
STEP 5

Heat oven to 325°F.
STEP 6

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-half at a time, (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 12x7-inch rectangle. (Trim edges if necessary.) Cut rectangle in half lengthwise with pizza cutter or sharp knife. Make 5 crosswise cuts in each half, 2 inches apart, creating 12 (3 1/2x2-inch) rectangles. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
STEP 7

Bake 6-8 minutes or just until set. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
STEP 8

Cut licorice twists into 3-inch lengths. Cut slits on 1 end of licorice using sharp knife or kitchen shears to within 1 inch of other end to form tree with 3 or 4 branches. Carefully bend or peel apart branches.
STEP 9

Working with 2 or 3 cookies at a time so frosting doesn’t harden, frost cookies. Place licorice tree onto frosting; sprinkle with Halloween sprinkles or decorator sugars, if desired.

Tip #1

- Halloween sprinkles come in a variety of shapes, such as bats, pumpkins or fall leaves, and are available at craft stores and in the baking aisle of the supermarket during the fall season.