Description
These whimsical Witch Hat Cookies are a fun and festive treat perfect for Halloween. Soft peanut butter cookies are tinted purple, rolled in colorful sprinkles, baked to perfection, and topped with classic Hershey's Hugs or Kisses, creating a charming hat shape. They are a delightful blend of creamy peanut butter and sweet chocolate, perfect for parties or seasonal celebrations.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional Ingredients
- Purple gel food coloring (adjust to desired shade)
- Halloween colored sprinkles or purple sanding sugar
- 33 Hershey's Hugs or Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
- Prepare baking sheet: Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside for later use.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir well to fully blend and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add egg: Incorporate the egg into the butter-sugar mixture and mix until fully combined.
- Add peanut butter and vanilla: Mix in the creamy peanut butter and vanilla extract thoroughly, scraping down the bowl sides as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet peanut butter mixture and stir until everything is just combined.
- Add color: Mix in purple gel food coloring little by little until you achieve the desired vibrant shade, stirring well to distribute the color evenly.
- Chill the dough: Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring spoon, portion out dough balls onto the prepared sheet tray, spacing them close but not touching. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight, to firm up the dough.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and allow it to fully preheat while the dough chills.
- Prepare coating: Pour Halloween colored sprinkles or purple sanding sugar into a small bowl. Roll each chilled dough ball in the sprinkles or sugar until coated evenly.
- Arrange and bake: Place the coated dough balls 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time for 9-11 minutes until the cookies puff up and begin to crack slightly on top.
- Cool and top: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then gently press an unwrapped Hershey's Hug or Kiss into the center of each cookie, so it sticks and forms the witch's hat tip.
- Chill chocolate: To prevent the chocolate from melting, place the baking sheet with the cookies into the freezer for 10 minutes. After chilling, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely while you bake the remaining batches.
Notes
- Make sure to chill the dough well; this helps maintain shape and color during baking.
- Use parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Only bake one tray at a time for even cooking.
- Freezing the cookies after adding chocolate helps keep the chocolate solid and neat.
- Feel free to adjust the food coloring intensity for a lighter or darker purple.