Clearly I’m a few holidays behind at this point in terms of decoration here, but we’re mostly concerned about flavor/texture so this recipe is good year-round! This recipe is from Bravetart, so has both the more accurate weight measurements, and volume ones.

Extremely lumpy moons, bats whose wings are trying to fly away from each other…Haaappy Halloween!

Ingredients:

Frosting:

• 10 ounces/3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (how convenient that’s the one I already have)
• 2 1/2 ounces/scant 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cookies:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/4″ pieces, slightly softened (about 60 degrees)
• 7 ounces/1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 2 large/2 ounces/1/4 cup egg whites
• 1 ounce/2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 11 ounces/2 2/3 cup cake flour

Beat all the frosting ingredients in a large bowl, using the paddle attachment if you have a stand mixer. Start on low, to moisten, then increase the speed to medium and beat until light and smooth, about 3 minutes.

Transfer into a sandwich-sized ziplock. Wipe out the bowl/beater with a paper towel. (That requires less effort/care if you didn’t add food coloring to your frosting, as I did.)

To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line to baking sheets. Beat together the butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the large bowl on low speed, then increase to medium and beat until creamy, 5 minutes.

While that beats, in a small dish beat together the egg whites, cream, and vanilla.

yuuuum

Add to the beaten butter mixture in 4 additions, beating and scraping down the bowl after each, then beating until smooth.

I had put some purple dye in with the liquid mixture

Sprinkle in the cake flour and beat in on low speed, then scrape the bowl one last time to ensure everything is mixed.

Transfer your dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2″ plain tip and pipe 12 1 1/4 ounce portions onto each of the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 1/2″ between them. I found that until the very end, the dough was way too stiff to pipe, so I wound up spooning it back out of the bag I’d put it in until the last few cookies.

Both bags!

Bake until golden around the edges, again easier if you didn’t add food coloring, about 15 minutes.

Cool on the pans 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack and cool completely. Once completely cool, snip off the corner of your frosting bag and squeeze a tablespoon of frosting onto two or three cookies, spread it into an even layer using a knife, then repeat in further small batches until all the cookies are frosting.

Plus Oreos, as needed!

Homemade Lofthouse Cookies

From Bravetart.

Frosting:

• 10 ounces/3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (how convenient that’s the one I already have)
• 2 1/2 ounces/scant 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cookies:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/4″ pieces, slightly softened (about 60 degrees)
• 7 ounces/1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 2 large/2 ounces/1/4 cup egg whites
• 1 ounce/2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 11 ounces/2 2/3 cup cake flour

Beat all the frosting ingredients in a large bowl, using the paddle attachment if you have a stand mixer. Start on low, to moisten, then increase the speed to medium and beat until light and smooth, about 3 minutes. Transfer into a sandwich-sized ziplock. Wipe out the bowl/beater with a paper towel.

To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line to baking sheets. Beat together the butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the large bowl on low speed, then increase to medium and beat until creamy, 5 minutes. While that beats, in a small dish beat together the egg whites, cream, and vanilla. Add to the beaten butter mixture in 4 additions, beating and scraping down the bowl after each, then beating until smooth. Sprinkle in the cake flour and beat in on low speed, then scrape the bowl one last time to ensure everything is mixed.

Transfer your dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2″ plain tip and pipe 12 1 1/4 ounce portions onto each of the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 1/2″ between them. Bake until golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on the pans 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack and cool completely. Once completely cool, snip off the corner of your frosting bag and squeeze a tablespoon of frosting onto two or three cookies, spread it into an even layer using a knife, then repeat in further small batches until all the cookies are frosting.