Hoot, Hoot! Owl Cookies

I was fortunate enough to grow up half a mile from my maternal grandparents, and we saw them almost every day. My grandma was a retired art and English teacher and,not only do I look almost exactly like her, my mom says my personality and creativity mimic hers, as well.  I was the first grandchild, and a girl, and I “might” have been the tiniest bit spoiled by her. What’s not to love about that?

Anyway, I often spent the night at her house, and she almost always had some fun craft or cooking project for us to do.  She loved owls, and had various owl-related things in her house.  At Halloween, we always made Owl Cookies, which I thought were just the coolest things ever.  Now I like making them with my little hooligans, and forcing them to listen to stories of my childhood.

1012-Owl-Cookies

Slice-n-Bake Owl Cookies
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • About 36 whole almonds or cashews, for the beaks
  1. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter pieces in 2 additions, pulsing after each addition, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and pulse until the dough holds together. Divide the dough in half. Transfer one-half to a lightly floured work surface and knead in the cocoa until incorporated.
  2. Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Roll out each dough half into a 12” square; trim the edges to even out. Place each square on a large baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes. Owl-Cookies-Layers-ChaosSer
  3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Quickly invert the chocolate onto the vanilla dough. Roll from each side to the center, making two rolls joined by a flat middle. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 30 minutes.Owl-Cookies-Roll-ChaosServe
  4. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
  5. Remove the dough roll from the refrigerator, unwrap and cut crosswise into slices 1/4 inch thick. Place them 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press an almond (or cashew) between the “eyes” to form a beak. Bake until the cookies feel firm when lightly pressed, about 15 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

1012-Owl-Cookies-Single

Click here for the printable recipe

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About Megan

My various hats: mom to three crazy teens and one quirky dog, wife of 27 years to my retired GI Joe, and high school math teacher. After my husband's retirement from the Army, we've settled in the Pacific Northwest. Crafting, cooking, photography, and reading keep me sane (that's a relative term!) and I hope you'll enjoy following along as I navigate the chaos of life!
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5 Responses to Hoot, Hoot! Owl Cookies

  1. Jan Green says:

    I remember these at Aunt Glad’s! You look like her, and you’re fun like her!

  2. Elizabeth says:

    These look like so much fun. Speaking of Halloween, the skeletons are going up across from the bar. I will have to remember to take a picture to post for you 🙂

    • Megan says:

      People who don’t know what you’re talking about are worried for us, I bet! But I can’t wait to see what the skeletons are up to this year!

  3. Crystal says:

    Super fun cookies!!

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