If you are looking for a spooktacular, last-minute treat to make for Halloween night, these Bloody Jack Skellington Sablé Cookies are the ultimate crowd-pleaser! They combine a classic, buttery French shortbread (sablé) texture with a creepy, jam-filled twist that looks just like Everyone’s favorite Halloween skeleton.
Made with simple pantry staples, these sweet and slightly tart cookies are perfect for your spooky dessert platters or movie night snacks.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Bake Time: 10-12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
- Yields: 12-15 sandwich cookies
Equipment Needed
- Rolling pin
- 3-inch round cookie cutter (or a glass rim)
- A small round tool or piping tip (to punch out the eyes and nose)
- Baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- Piping bag (or a small ziplock bag with the corner snipped)
Ingredients
For the Sablé Dough:
- 1 cup (225g) Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (65g) Powdered Sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 1 Large Egg yolk (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 ¼ cups (280g) All-Purpose Flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
For the Filling & Creepy Details:
- ½ cup Smooth Strawberry Jam (or raspberry jam for that perfect “bloody” look)
- ¼ cup Dark Chocolate Chips, melted (for the stitched smiles)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Make the Buttery Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, beating until completely combined.
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a separate bowl, then gradually add it to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix!
2. Chill the Dough
- Divide the dough into two equal portions and flatten each into a disc.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This helps the cookies keep their perfect round shape while baking.
3. Cut and Create the Faces
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out circles using your 3-inch round cutter. These will be the bottom cookies. Place them on the baking sheet.
- Roll out the second disc of dough and cut matching circles. These will be the Jack Skellington faces.
- Use your small round tool or a piping tip to punch out two large hollow eye sockets and two tiny dots for the nose on each face cookie. Place them on the second baking sheet.
4. Bake to Golden Perfection
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or just until the edges are very lightly golden.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Assemble and Decorate
- The Bloody Filling: Spread a generous teaspoon of strawberry jam onto the flat side of each solid bottom cookie, focusing a bit more toward the center.
- The Stitched Smiles: Melt your dark chocolate chips and transfer them to a piping bag. Carefully pipe a long curved line across the bottom of the face cookies, then add small vertical lines across it to create Jack’s signature stitched skeleton smile.
- The Sandwich: Gently place the decorated face cookies on top of the jam-covered bases. Press slightly so the vibrant red jam oozes into the hollow eyes and nose.
Pro-Tips for Success:
- Keep it Smooth: Make sure to use seedless or smoothly blended jam so it fills the eye holes evenly without lumps.
- Don’t skip the chill time: Chilling the dough ensures the round skull shapes don’t spread into weird blobs in the hot oven.
- For Facebook/TikTok Creators: Dust the bottom cookies with powdered sugar before adding the face cookie if you want a stark white contrast for your video thumbnails!
Storage
Keep your Jack Skellington cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.