Halloween gingerbread man anatomy

Nope, it’s not Christmas. It’s a Halloween gingerbread man, with all the gory anatomy.

Halloween gingerbread man

These Halloween gingerbread man anatomy cookies are two treats in one. At first glance, you’ll see the traditional gingerbread man. But lurking another is a gingerbread man anatomy cookies. The poor man’s bones and guts are exposed. These are pretty small gingerbread men, so the anatomy is not quite to scale. I got the skeleton, the heart, what is probably the liver, the large intestine, and the small intestine. Everything else let’s just say is suggested.

Are you a Christmas person or a Halloween person? I suppose if you’re both, than these cookies are the perfect choice for you. If you like these, then you might also want to try zombie chocolate chip cookies. 

how to make Halloween gingerbread man anatomy cookies

you will need:*

• gingerbread cut-out cookie dough
• royal icing
• gingerbread man cookie cutter
• food coloring (black, white, red, pink, and purple)
• 12-inch decorating bags
• couplers
• decorating tips sizes 2 and 3 

*Find most of the above at the craft store or see the links to buy online. For the food coloring, I used Super Black, Bright White, Holiday Red for both red and pink, and Regal Purple.

what to do:

Prepare the cookie dough according to the recipe, roll it out, cut out your men, bake and let cool. Prepare the icing according to the recipe. You want the icing to hold its shape so you can pipe the guts and bones, so don’t thin it too much. Divide and tint your colors. Here, I made black, white, I used the red to make both red and pink, and then I made purple and added a drop or two of the red.

TIP: To make all five colors without changing or washing the bowl in between, go in this order: White, Red, Pink, Purple, Black.

Prepare decorating bags with couplers and tips, fill with the colors, and close with rubber bands.

Now, decorate your cookies! Make half skeltons and half regular gingerbread men. Pipe the skeleton (minus the ribs) using white with a size 2 or 3 tip. Pipe the red heart and liver. Pipe a pink large intestine. Use a size 2 tip to pipe purple intestines. Pipe ribs. Pipe the “eyes” and “nose” with the black. For the regular gingerbread men, pipe with white decoration and add red buttons.

LET THE COOKIES DRY! They should dry overnight before stacking to hide the skeleton beneath the traditional gingerbread man.