Halloween Biscuits (Biscotti di Halloween)
Category: Desserts
Servings: 8
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Pumpkin | 400g |
| All-purpose flour (00) | 250g |
| Butter (cold, in pieces) | 80g |
| Powdered sugar | 100g |
| Egg yolks | 2 |
| All-purpose flour (00) | 300g |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 30g |
| Butter (cold, in pieces) | 160g |
| Powdered sugar | 130g |
| Egg yolks | 3 |
| Powdered sugar | 50g |
| Water | As needed |
| Colored sprinkles | As needed |
Instructions
To prepare these delightful Halloween biscuits, start by preparing the pumpkin. Slice it into 2-3 cm thick pieces, remove the seeds, and bake until soft. Once baked, allow the pumpkin to cool slightly, then peel off the skin using a knife.
Next, for the pumpkin biscuit dough, combine the all-purpose flour and cold butter pieces in a food processor. Pulse quickly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Transfer this mixture into a bowl and add the powdered sugar, followed by the egg yolks. Use a fork to mix everything together. If the dough feels too soft (this can depend on the moisture of the pumpkin), you can add a little more flour to achieve the right consistency.
Once the dough is ready, form it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to firm up.
Meanwhile, prepare the cocoa biscuit dough. Follow the same procedure: place the sifted flour in a food processor, add the cold butter pieces, and create a well in the center. Into the well, sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar to avoid lumps. Mix initially with a fork, then continue mixing by hand until a dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate.
After chilling, roll out each dough to a thickness of about 5 mm. Using Halloween-themed cookie cutters, cut out various shapes – such as pumpkins and ghosts – from both the pumpkin dough and cocoa dough. For each Halloween biscuit, you will need to cut three shapes of the same size: two whole biscuits and one with a hole in the center. This hole can be cut using a small round cutter.
Place the whole biscuit shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The cut-out shapes should be placed on a separate baking sheet since they will bake faster. Bake the whole biscuits in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) for 18-20 minutes, and bake the cut-out shapes for approximately 15 minutes at the same temperature.
Once baked, remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
While the biscuits are cooling, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar with enough water to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency. Transfer this glaze into a piping bag, leaving the tip off.
Once the biscuits have cooled, pipe the glaze onto the surface of the cut-out biscuits, then fill the center with colorful sprinkles. Afterward, pipe a border of glaze around the edges of the biscuit and top it with a whole biscuit of the same shape. Decorate the top of the biscuits by drawing spooky faces using the glaze from the piping bag.
Your Halloween biscuits are now ready to enjoy! Perfect for a fun treat that will delight guests with both their taste and eerie appearance.
Notes
- Pumpkin Consistency: The amount of flour may vary depending on the moisture content of the pumpkin. Always start with the recommended amount, and add more flour as needed to achieve a dough that holds together but isn’t too sticky.
- Decoration: Use your creativity when decorating! You can create different facial expressions on the biscuits to make them even more Halloween-themed.
