Halloween Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

What you need:

For the Cookies:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Decoration:

• Royal icing (black, orange, and white)
• Halloween-themed cookie cutters (bats, ghosts, pumpkins, etc.)
• Sprinkles, candy eyes, and other spooky decorations
• Piping bags and tips for icing

What to do:

Prepare the Dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Then, in a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

After that, add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until well combined.

Roll and Cut the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Then, roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness.

Use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to cut out spooky shapes, placing them on the prepared baking sheets with enough space between each cookie.

Bake: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until they are set. Be careful not to overbake; you want them to remain soft and chewy.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

Decorate: Once the cookies are completely cooled, it's time to unleash your creativity. Use royal icing to pipe intricate designs, create faces on pumpkin-shaped cookies, or add fun details to your ghosts and bats.

Then, add sprinkles, candy eyes, or other spooky decorations while the icing is still wet. Don't forget to allow the icing to set and harden before serving.