Orange and Black Halloween Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

•  ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
•  ½ cup granulated sugar
•  ¼ cup packed brown sugar
•  1 large egg
•  1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
•  1 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
•  ¼ teaspoon baking soda
•  ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
•  1 tablespoon dutch process cocoa powder
•  4-5 drops black gel food color
•  4-5 drops orange gel food color

Instructions

1. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars with a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. It is OK if some flour is still visible as you will mix the dough again at a later stage.
4. Using a kitchen scale, divide the cookie dough into two even batches. 
5. Add the cocoa powder and black food color to one of the batches. Mix until combined. Add the orange food color to the other batch of cookie dough and mix until combined.
6. Divide the black cookie dough into 12 even pieces, about 2 teaspoons per piece. Repeat with the orange cookie dough.
7. Chill the dough pieces for 15 minutes. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350° F. 
8. Once the dough has chilled, gently press together one piece of black dough with one piece of orange dough and roll into a ball. Repeat until all dough is used.
9. Place the dough balls on the parchment-lined cookie sheets with at least two inches between each ball. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges of the cookie have set.
10. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Or in the freezer for up to 3 months.You can use regular cocoa powder in place of the dutch processed cocoa powder.