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Skull Cookies

DIY spooky Halloween decorations and recipes from Martha Stewart
From bloody moon punch to eyeball pumpkins and hanging spider legs, you don't have to be a creative genius with these easy projects. Martha Stewart gets you into the spirit of Halloween with some creative new ideas to make your festivities the spookiest on the block!TODAY
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Chef notes

These macabre treats, so sweet yet so sinister, will make even the bravest eaters tremble. The marshmallow skulls top madeleines shrouded in bittersweet chocolate.

Martha's vanilla madeleine recipe is a good base for any number of flavors. Madeleine batter can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, and madeleines are best the day they are made, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Ingredients

Skull cookies
  • Madeleine cookies (see recipe below)
  • Marshmallows
  • Chocolate sprinkles
  • Chocolate glaze (8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61%), finely chopped, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup)
Vanilla madeleines
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Coarse salt
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted, plus more, softened, for pans
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
  • 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preparation

For the skull cookies:

Make the glaze: Place chocolate in a food processor. Bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan, whisking until combined. Pour over chocolate, and process until smooth.

Spoon some of the glaze over each madeleine to coat. Transfer to clean parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until glaze is firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Push sticky side of marshmallow skulls into madeleines, and serve immediately.

For the madeleines:

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

Whisk together eggs and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Sift flour mixture over top in 2 additions, folding in after each addition. Fold in melted butter in 2 additions, then honey and vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Let batter stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Generously butter 2 standard-size or 2 mini nonstick or aluminum madeleine pans using a pastry brush.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag, and snip tip to create a 1/2-inch opening. Pipe some batter into molds, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake on middle rack until pale gold, 8 to 11 minutes (6 to 8 minutes for mini madeleines). Immediately shake madeleines out. Wash and rebutter molds. Repeat with remaining batter. Dust baked madeleines with confectioners' sugar.