These Blood Spatter Cookies look unbelievably awesome!! Not only that, they are ridiculously fun to make (particularly the spatter bit) and guaranteed to be a hit with guests and/or trick or treaters! You absolutely have to give them a go!

Here is what you will need to make about 30 – 35 Cookies.

For the Cookies

250g Unsalted Butter, room temp
200g Golden Caster Sugar
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg, beaten
450g Plain Flour

For the Royal Icing

2 Large Egg Whites
500g Icing Sugar
Squeeze of Lemon Juice
Red Food Colouring Gel

Essential Equipment

7cm Cookie Cutter
Piping Bag
No.3 Writing Nozzle
Piping Bottle*

*You can use a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle but a bottle is a little bit easier.

BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS RECIPE, PLEASE NOTE THE CHILLING & SETTING TIMES IN-BETWEEN CERTAIN STAGES.

Step 1: To Make the Cookies

To make the cookies, either in an electric stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric hand whisk, cream together the butter, sugar & vanilla extract until light and fluffy.

Step 2: To Make the Cookies (Continued)

Add the egg and beat again until it’s all combined.

Step 3: To Make the Cookies (Continued)

Tip in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until it clumps together to form a dough.

Step 4: To Make the Cookies (Continued)

Tip out onto a work surface and knead gently to bring together into a ball. Divide it into two, then roll each one in-between 2 large sheets of baking paper to 6mm/1/4″ thick.

Place both into the fridge to chill for about an hour. This is important as if you don’t chill the dough, when you cut out the cookies they won’t hold their shape well.

Step 5: To Make the Royal Icing

Meanwhile, we can get on with the icing.

In an electric stand mixer or a large bowl with electric hand whisks, beat together the egg whites, icing sugar & lemon juice on high speed for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Step 6: To Make the Royal Icing (Continued)

Adding no more than a drop or two at a time, very gradually add cold water and mix in-between each addition until it’s thinned to soft peaks.

Take 3-4 heaped tablespoons of the icing and place into a bowl. Immediately cover with cling film and set to one side. This will be used to pipe a border around each cookie to hold the icing in.

Step 7: To Make the Royal Icing (Continued)

Back to the mixer. Once again, adding a little at a time, very gradually add cold water and mix in-between each addition until the mixture becomes a flooding consistency.

Take 5 – 6 tablespoons of the icing and place into a small bowl. Colour with red food colouring gel then immediately cover with cling film. Set to one side.

Step 8: To Make the Royal Icing (Continued)

Pour the remaining icing into another bowl, immediately cover with cling film & set to one side with the others.

Step 9: To Make the Cookies (Continued)

Once the dough is chilled, remove from the fridge and cut as many 7cm circles out as you can. Re-roll the leftover dough to the same thickness & cut more cookies until all the dough is used up.

Chill the cookies for 15 minutes whilst you preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 180°C.

Step 10: To Make the Cookies (Continued)

Line a large baking sheet with baking paper or a silicone mat. Fill with cookie discs, leaving room in-between each one for possible spreading, then bake for 10 minutes until the edges are turning golden. I turn the tray round halfway to ensure an even bake.

Step 11: To Make the Cookies (Continued)

Allow the cookies to cool for a minute or two on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

You will likely need to bake in batches so repeat the process for the remaining cookies.

Step 12: To Decorate

On to the decoration! Once the cookies have completely cooled, load a piping bag with the writing nozzle. Give the border (soft peak) icing a good mix then spoon into the piping bag.

Carefully pipe round the edges of each cookie and leave to set for 15 – 20 minutes.

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When the borders have set hard, give the white flooding icing a good mix then pour into the piping bottle. Flood the centres of each cookie and leave to set for at least 1 – 2 hours.

Step 13: To Decorate (Continued)

Tic toc tic toc…

When the icing has finally set, we’re ready for the really fun bit!

It’s probably a wise idea to tape newspaper up the back of where you will be ‘spattering’ and also to place underneath the biscuits you are decorating.

I opted to decorate 3 – 4 at a time (mainly because I wanted to enjoy this bit for as long as possible!) but you could just as easily decorate all of them at once. It’s entirely up to you.

Give the red flooding icing a good mix. Take a fork, dip it in the icing and go nuts. Fling that fork around like you’re conducting Flight of the Bumblebee!