Haunted Cookie Mansion Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tubes (16-1/2 ounces each) refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough, softened
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• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Patterns in "Crafts" archive on Country Woman Web site
• ICING AND ASSEMBLY:
• 4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Orange paste food coloring
• Pastry tips—round tips #4 and #2
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
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• 2 oval cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
• 2 pretzel rods
• 1 yellow Fruit Roll-Up
• 3 pretzel sticks
• Candy corn, additional pretzels sticks and oval cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (whole and crushed)

Directions

• Combine cookie dough and flour. Press into two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before carefully removing to wire racks.
• Trace full patterns onto waxed paper; cut out. Arrange patterns over cookies. With a sharp knife, cut out pieces. Score and cut out a door and windows as desired; set cutouts and cookie scraps aside.
• To make icing: In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and cream of tartar. Add water and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 1 minute; beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Set aside 1 cup. Tint remaining icing orange. Cover icing between uses.
• To assemble: Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert round tip #4. Fill bag with white icing; pipe along sides of front and one side section. Position at right angles to each other on a covered board. Press into place; prop with cans.
• Pipe icing along inside edge for added stability. Repeat with second side piece and back; let dry. Pipe icing along top edge of house. Position one roof piece; repeat. Pipe icing along top edge of roof pieces.
• For turret, pipe icing along sides of front and side section. Position at right angles to each other; repeat with back section. Press into place. Pipe icing along top edge of turret. Position one roof piece; repeat. Let dry.
• To make tombstones: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cut cookies in half widthwise; dip each half into chocolate. Let excess drip off and place on waxed paper; let stand for 15 minutes or until set. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert round tip #2. Fill bag with icing; decorate tombstones as desired.
• Finishing touches: Attach reserved door cutout to house front with icing. Top with a reserved window cutout; attach pretzel rods with icing for support beams. For caution tape, cut two 6-in.-long strips from fruit roll-up; attach across front of house.
• Cut remaining window pieces in half. For "Beware" sign, decorate a window piece with icing; attach pretzel sticks. Let dry. Attach remaining window pieces for shutters.
• Melt remaining chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert tip #4. Fill bag with melted chocolate. Pipe over white icing; pull down chocolate with a toothpick.
• Using orange icing, attach candy corn to roof. Decorate covered board as desired with crushed cookies, tombstones, sign, additional cookies and pretzel sticks. Yield: 1 mansion.

Download the pattern for Haunted Cookie Mansion

Haunted Cookie Mansion published in Country Woman October/November 2008, p38