Description
Delight in these festive Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies, perfect for Halloween celebrations. Soft, spiced pumpkin-shaped cookies sandwich a rich milk chocolate filling, finished with a buttery cinnamon sugar topping for a sweet and cozy treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) salted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling and Topping
- 12 ounces milk chocolate, melted
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Cream the Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, light brown sugar, and pure vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy, which will take about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each until fully incorporated.
- Make the Dough: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt to the creamed mixture. Beat until combined and the dough forms a ball. Generously flour your work surface to prevent sticking.
- Shape the Cookies: Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Roll out each disk to approximately 1/4 inch thickness, using flour as needed to avoid sticking. Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a paring knife or smaller cookie cutter, cut eyes and a mouth into half of the pumpkin cookies. Cover the baking sheet and freeze the cookies until firm, about 15-20 minutes. Roll out leftover scraps and repeat the process.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies on the middle rack for 8 to 12 minutes until they are lightly golden around the edges but still soft in the center. Avoid overbaking. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Topping: In a medium saucepan, add the 2 tablespoons of salted butter and melt over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Brush the browned butter over the top of the cookies that do not have faces, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Assemble the Cookies: Spread the melted milk chocolate over the flat half of the cookies without faces. Gently press the pumpkin-faced cookie halves on top of the chocolate-spread halves to form sandwiches. Serve immediately or allow the chocolate to firm up before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is at room temperature for easier creaming.
- Freezing the shaped cookies before baking helps preserve the details and prevents spreading.
- If you prefer a darker chocolate flavor, substitute milk chocolate with semi-sweet chocolate.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days for best freshness.
- You can prepare the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it tightly wrapped.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
Keywords: Halloween cookies, stuffed cookies, milk chocolate cookies, pumpkin cookies, spiced cookies, festive cookies
