The Conversation
Creeping It Real With These Tea-Licious Frankenstein Halloween Cookies Recipe
Halloween is just around the corner, and what’s better than creeping it real with some tea-rrific matcha Frankenstein cookies. These may look like a pain in the neck to make, but they are actually quite simple — you may just need some patience! Take these babies to your next Halloween party, but let me warn you… your friends may go a little nuts. Who would have thought Frankenstein and green tea would be a matcha made in heaven?
Ingredients:
Makes approximately 40 x 1.5-inch square cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup caster sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons unsweetened green tea powder (matcha)
- 230 grams (a hair over 1 cup) softened unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorations:
- black and white royal or cookie icing
- white chocolate melts and matcha powder (optional)
- heart or bone sprinkles (optional)
Instructions:
1. To make cookies: Sift matcha and flour in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy; then add vanilla until incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients until just combined, then shape into two evenly sized discs and wrap in cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Note: Depending on personal preference, feel free to add more or less matcha to the dough.
2. When dough has chilled, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking tray with parchment paper. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into squares. Transfer onto baking tray and place in freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking.
3. Bake for approximately 14-16 minutes, or when edges begin to brown. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
4. To decorate: Using store bought or homemade cookie/royal icing, pipe on the eyes with white icing, then add the hair, scars and facial details with black icing. You can use a thin piping tip, or just cut a small hole at the end of your Ziplock or piping bag.
Optional: Add nuts and bolts on the side of Frankenstein’s face to give him a little more character. Using heart or bone sprinkles, cut off the end with a sharp knife. Stick them onto the cookies with melted chocolate and paint with silver edible paint for extra detailing.
5. As an option to sweeten the cookies, dip the back of the cookies in chocolate. As an example, you can use chocolate melts with a bit of matcha powder mixed in. Other flavours and types of chocolate would work too!
Remember to chill in the freezer before baking. This will minimise spreading and keep the cookies in shape.Leave cookies to cool completely before decorating!
And the decorating begins! Start off by piping the eyes with white royal icing, then add the hair, scars and facial details with black icing. How simple is that?Pipe away! Don’t be afraid to add different variations to the adorable faces!
Not your typical Frankenstein, but aren’t they cute?
To add more sweetness to the cookies, dip the back in melted chocolate. This can be as simple as chocolate melts with a touch of matcha powder mixed in. You can, of course, use any type of flavor and chocolate you prefer.
Optional: Add nuts and bolts on the side of Frankenstein’s face to give him a little more character. Using heart or bone sprinkles, cut off the end with a sharp knife. Stick them onto the cookies with melted chocolate and paint with silver edible paint as the finishing touch.
And that’s it! Now you have an army of delicious and almost-too-cute-to-eat Frankenstein cookies.
Frankenstein and green tea seem to be the perfect matcha!
Isn’t he such a cu-tea?
Follow us on Pinterest for more cookie inspo.
Vickie is a baker and stylist living in Melbourne, Australia. Her background in architecture, interior design and commercial arts can be seen in her simple creations and clean and crisp photography.
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It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.
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