I may have mentioned it a time or two before, but I love working with Madeleine Cookies, especially for the holidays. My Christmas Madeleines have always been a big hit, so I tend to make decorated Madeleines for every holiday. Since I save time by not having to bake cookies before decorating them, I can jump right in and start the fun part – creating cute, festive and sometimes ghoulish holiday cookies – like these No-bake Madeleine Ghost Cookies!
It will be fun to delight the kids this year with something other than the traditional Halloween cookies. Although there are plenty of Pumpkin Halloween Cookie recipes out there to choose from, and definitely a lot of Halloween Ghost Cookie recipes, this Ghost cookie recipe is quite unique!
Recipes that call for very few ingredients are always a hit with me {and also another perk of this no-bake Halloween cookie recipe!}. Just Madeleine cookies from the bakery department at your grocery store, White Chocolate Chips or White Chocolate bar (chopped fine) or White Candy Melts {preferred}, Jimmies {or similar} for the ghost’s eyes. That’s it!
Ingredients:
12 Madeleine Cookies {or however many you want to make}
White Candy Melts {or White Chocolate chips or bar}
Jimmies or other round “edible sprinkle” for the eyes
You’ll also need:
Toothpicks, wax paper, sharp paring knife
How do I melt white chocolate chips?
Melting white chocolate can be tricky, and at times, frustrating. I have had it work great for me sometimes, but other times the white chocolate seized up on me {it didn’t melt, it just turned into an unusable pasty material}. The best way to melt white chocolate, is actually one of two ways. The first step though is to chop the white chocolate very finely {whether you use chips or a bar}. Then either use microwave in 10 second increments – stirring in between, or use a double boiler on low heat, with close supervision.
I have found an alternative to white chocolate when it comes to easy melting – White Candy Melts. They are much less finicky, and you can easily melt them in the microwave. I used these in this project.
Preparation:
Cut a long strip of wax paper and place it on the counter (taping each end if necessary so it lays flat). Have all of your materials handy and ready to use, as you’ll need to move somewhat quickly, before the melted candy hardens.
Why do Madeleines have a hump?
It’s normal for Madeleine cookies to have a hump on the back, so don’t be concerned about that. It is actually the process that causes the hump – the chilling of the batter before it is baked, and then the change of the temperature when they are put in a hot oven. There is a spurt of steam that occurs which causes the signature “hump” in Madeleine cookies.
I hate to admit this, but sometimes when I incorporate Madeleine cookies into my baking, I sometimes actually shave the hump off. I feel kind of bad doing this, but sometimes I need them to lay flat. This is the case with the no-bake Madeleine ghost cookies, since I form the white chocolate to make the swooshing “tail”. When I do this, it extends beyond the cookie a bit, so it needs to be flat.
Directions:
1. Melt your white chocolate/candy following the directions above, or you can check out these instructions as well, where you will also find out how not to burn chocolate. using this guide Using a small, sharp paring knife, carefully “shave” the hump off of the back of the Madeleines, so they lay flat. Next carefully trim the sides just a bit, so it’s not so wide (just a tad – the really thin part is a good guide)
2. Hold a madeleine in one hand, and with a small frosting knife, scoop up a generous amount of melted chocolate and apply to the rounded part of the Madeleine (the head of the ghost). Swirl it around until it is evenly coated and then work your way down the sides, adding more melted chocolate as needed. You don’t want it to be smooth – think of it more as a sheet with folds. It doesn’t have to be perfect {mine sure aren’t!}, besides you will be trimming them and tidying them up a bit after they have hardened.
After you have covered the whole Madeleine with chocolate, lay it down on the wax paper for the next part.
Drape the white chocolate beyond the bottom of the cookie and onto the wax paper and curve it over to one side. The underside looks like the photo below after it hardens, just to give you an idea. The photo above shows how the white chocolate goes to one side.
After you have finished each one, you will want to apply the eyes and nose, so they can harden into the chocolate. After you have placed the eyes and nose on, press down on them very lightly with a toothpick.
When you have finished all of the ghosts, let them harden in place for about 2 hours, then place them in the refrigerator. After they have hardened completely in the refrigerator, you can tidy them up a bit with a sharp paring knife. I usually shave down any parts of the chocolate that are standing too tall, and any uneven edges. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
How long do no-bake cookies last?
Well it depends on a few things. First and foremost it depends on how many people you have in your house and how fast they eat them! But in all seriousness, no-bake cookies should be safe if stored in a Ziplock bag, or some type of airtight container at room temperature. If you store them in the refrigerator, they should be good for up to two weeks.
I hope you get a chance to make these no-bake Ghost Madeleine cookies this Halloween. They can be displayed in so many clever ways on a Halloween party table. They will definitely impress friends and family alike!
Make sure you also check out our Christmas Madeleines and Easter Madeleines too!
