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Easy Bat-Shaped Cookies with Naturally-Colored Wild Blueberry Icing

We’re finally beginning to feel the crisp Fall air here in the Northeast, which means that Halloween is around the corner. My husband I are thinking about dressing up as Johnny and Baby from Dirty Dancing – it’s one of my all-time favorite movies, and I just love the soundtrack to it. But we’re also wondering at what age are we too old to dress up? I’m thinking never.

I love Halloween, and I love dressing up. Perhaps it’s the theatrical kid in me who used to act in all her high-school plays and musicals. Maybe that part of me still loves dressing up and “playing the part.” I also love all of the fun crafts and treats that come along with Halloween. It never ceases to amaze me but when the end of October rolls around, every food item that pops up in my newsfeed is a silly or spooky witch, bat, ghost or spider. I don’t consider myself a particularly crafty person, and I’m always impressed by what people are able to create for their Halloween parties.

If you’re not particularly crafty either, I’ve got good news for you. The Halloween recipe I’m sharing today requires no craft at all, just following a few simple instructions. If you’ve made homemade cut-out sugar cookies for the holidays, you’ll be golden.

This cookie recipe is an old family one with a few minor tweaks like swapping out one stick of butter with Greek yogurt and replacing about half of the white flour with whole-wheat. And if you’re no fond of your kids decorating cookies with artificial food colors, I’ve got even more good news for you. The icing is naturally colored from Wild Blueberries!

Now, I know you’re used to seeing me use frozen Wild Blueberries for smoothies, but the culinary possibilities with these little berries are endless. I reduced the frozen Wild Blueberries over the stovetop, blended them to a thick fruit puree and then strained it to remove any solids and used the strained liquid as my natural food dye! It’s pretty amazing how we can use produce and spices to make natural food dyes for icings and frostings.

Your family will love this recipe for Halloween. The cookies are sweet (but not overly sweet) and have a subtle Wild Blueberry taste. Enjoy them at your Halloween party and remember, you’re never too old to dress up!

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