Halloween baking usually ends the same way. Flour across the bench, biscuits that spread into each other, and a child who has wandered off before the oven beeps. This one skips the oven.
A chocolate chip biscuit does the work of the base. A marshmallow becomes the ghost's head, icing drapes over it, and an icing pen adds the face. Twelve cookies, ten minutes of hands-on time, and something that looks as though it took the afternoon.
Why these work
- No oven, so children can stay involved from the first biscuit to the last face.
- Five ingredients, all of them supermarket staples.
- The icing sets firm enough to stack, which means they survive the trip to a party.
- One 250 g packet of chocolate chip biscuits makes 24 if you want a bigger batch.
Halloween Ghost Cookies Recipe
Total time: 10 minutes, plus about 30 minutes for the icing to set
Makes: 12 cookies
Dietary notes: Contains gluten, dairy and gelatine
Ingredients
- 12 chocolate chip biscuits
- 175 g icing sugar
- 5 tsp water
- 12 marshmallows
- 1 black icing pen
Method
- Line a tray or board with baking paper and arrange the biscuits in a single layer, spaced slightly apart.
- Whisk the icing sugar and water in a small bowl until smooth. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still run off it. Add water half a teaspoon at a time if it looks stiff.
- Dip the base of a marshmallow into the icing and press it onto the centre of a biscuit. Hold for a second so it grips, then work through the rest.
- Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of icing over each marshmallow and let it run down the sides to make the ghost's body. If it heads for the edge of the biscuit, stop it with a fingertip.
- Leave the cookies flat in a cool spot until the icing is completely set, about 30 minutes. Draw two eyes and a mouth on each ghost with the icing pen just before serving.
Tips and swaps
- Consistency is most of this recipe. Icing that is too thin slides off the biscuit. Icing that is too thick sits in a lump instead of draping. Aim for something between pouring cream and honey, and adjust with water or icing sugar in small amounts.
- A fork makes the dipping tidier than fingers. Spear the marshmallow, dip the base, and slide it onto the biscuit.
- Draw the faces last. The icing pen smudges if the white icing is still soft underneath, and a crisp face is what sells the whole ghost.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free chocolate chip biscuits and check the packet, since brands vary.
- No icing pen at home? A tube of black writing icing works. So does melted dark chocolate, piped from a zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off.
- Ice them the day before if the day itself is busy. The white icing can sit for up to 24 hours. Add the faces on the day you serve them.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. The fridge makes the icing tacky and softens the biscuits, so keep them out of it.
Your questions, answered
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes. Ice the cookies up to a day ahead and add the faces on the day. Keep them in a single layer so the icing does not touch the lid.
How long do they keep?
Two to three days in an airtight container at room temperature. After that the biscuits begin to soften and the icing takes on whatever is sitting beside it in the cupboard.
Are they vegetarian?
Check your marshmallows. Most standard marshmallows are set with gelatine, which makes the cookies unsuitable for vegetarians. Gelatine-free marshmallows are easy to find and behave the same way in this recipe.
Can children make them?
The biscuit and marshmallow steps suit school-age kids. The icing is the messy part, so an adult usually spoons it and hands the pen over for the faces. Younger children can dip and press with help.
Can I use store-bought icing?
Yes, as long as you thin it enough to drape. The homemade version is just icing sugar and water, which makes it easy to control.
Can I freeze them?
I would not. The icing weeps as it thaws and the biscuits go soft, so these are better made fresh and eaten within a few days.
More spooky ideas
The same method works on round vanilla biscuits, shortbread fingers and plain cake rounds. For pumpkins, tint the icing with a little orange food colouring and draw a jagged smile.
Make a batch this Halloween and take a photo before the tray empties, because twelve ghosts do not last long once children know where they are.
