Simple Halloween Cookies

For years we have prepared an early dinner for the family to eat fast and furiously before the grandchildren don their costumes and head out for Trick-or-Treating. The evening is not the time to linger over some fancy dessert – no certainly not. There is candy to be had. The dessert needs to be a pickup-and-go type, or one to be eaten after all the neighbors have turned out their porch lights.

The more time spent eating at Grandpa and Grandma’s means less bounty in the bags. So I make the same dessert every year… decorated sugar cookies. And even though they can be eaten on the run, they are almost ignored. And when the disheveled bunch returns, there is still little interest in dessert. For the kids are anticipating dumping out all their bounty in piles across the living room carpet. It is then that the fast trade for favorite candy begins, while some adults wait patiently to pocket the rejects. But, before the evening ends, some of the cookies make it into the departing candy bags.

As always, to keep sugar cookies soft and fresh tasting, they are decorated as soon as they cool, and then stored in the freezer until two hours before serving. Yes, even if they are to be served the next day. Day old sugar cookies are like day old bakery goods, better the first day. BUT when sugar cookies are kept in the freezer, they come close to retaining that wonderful same-day freshness.