Description
These Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies are perfect festive fall treats that combine classic sugar cookie dough with a gooey milk chocolate center. Flavored with vanilla and a hint of almond extract, and tinted with orange gel food coloring, these pumpkin-shaped cookies are ideal for Halloween celebrations and bring fun and flavor to your dessert table.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- Orange gel food coloring, a few drops
Filling
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips or squares
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (optional, for melting chocolate)
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create tender cookies.
- Add Eggs and Flavorings: Beat in 1 large egg, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, and if desired, ½ teaspoon almond extract for subtle nutty notes, mixing until smooth.
- Incorporate Food Coloring: Add orange gel food coloring a few drops at a time to the dough until you achieve your preferred pumpkin-orange shade, blending thoroughly.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until a soft dough forms; avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Chill the Dough: Divide the dough into two equal halves, flatten each into discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up the dough for easier handling.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: On a lightly floured surface, roll out each chilled dough disc to approximately ¼-inch thickness. Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out an even number of cookies for assembly.
- Create Jack-O’-Lantern Faces: On half of the cut cookies, use a small knife or a jack-o’-lantern face cutter to carefully carve out facial features to create festive cut-outs.
- Assemble Stuffed Cookies: Place the solid pumpkin-shaped cookies on the baking sheet; add a small spoonful or a square of milk chocolate in the center of each. Top with a carved face cookie and gently press the edges to seal the cookies together, encapsulating the chocolate filling.
- Bake: Bake the assembled cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn golden brown, indicating doneness without overbaking.
- Cool and Store: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- If the chocolate filling is too thick, melt it with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream for easier spreading and a gooier center.
- Dark or white chocolate can be used as an alternative filling for different flavor variations.
- For an extra festive touch, decorate the cookie edges with sanding sugar or drizzle with icing after baking.
