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These Witches Broom Cookies are an easy and festive way to celebrate Halloween. A simple, six-ingredient brown sugar shortbread cookie paired with pretzels and chocolate makes a delicious treat.
Why We Love These Cookies
I originally found this recipe for Witches Broom Cookies in an old magazine and thought they looked so fun and festive! Even better is that they are super simple yet look like a bit more complicated.
Only six ingredients are needed to make the brown sugar shortbread cookie dough. The flavor of the cookie paired with the salty pretzel and sweet chocolate work so well together!
The witch broom cookies recipe makes two dozen cookies but it can be easily doubled. They are also cute bagged up and tied with a ribbon for gift-giving or party favors, too.
Ingredient Tips For This Recipe
Most of the ingredients for this recipe are easily be found at the grocery store. But I have some notes about a few of them when it comes to choosing these ingredients.
Pretzels – This recipe originally called for the thicker pretzel rods. I substituted two thin pretzel sticks instead as I felt that the pretzel rods were just way too large for the broom cookie ratio.
Chocolate Almond Bark – Find this in the baking section of the grocery store. I usually find it on one of the upper shelves near the packages of chocolate chips. Sometimes it is called candy melts or melting chocolate. You can also find them at craft stores in the candy and baked goods making aisle.
I like to use chocolate almond bark because it melts and drizzles easily on the cookies. You can also use chocolate chips but you’ll want to add some sort of shortening or oil. This helps make the chips extra melty. Use one tablespoon of oil (vegetable oil is a good choice) for every 12 ounces of chocolate chips for the right ratio.
Easy Steps To Make These Cookies
It literally takes just minutes to mix up the dough for these witches broom cookies. Start by creaming together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and water. I like to use my electric hand mixer (affiliate link). Then add the flour and salt and combine until just mixed (1).
To form the broomstick cookie part, I use a teaspoon sized scoop (affiliate link) so that the dough balls are uniform in size. This way they bake more evenly. Next insert the pretzels into the dough ball. Then use the tines of a fork to press the down the dough ball to make the “bristles” on the cookie (2).
Sometimes I will pinch the cookie dough up near the pretzels so it is flatter and doesn’t separate too much. I bake the cookies on a half sheet baking pan (affiliate link) and use a silicone baking mat (affiliate link) so they don’t stick to the pan. You can also line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use non-stick baking spray.
Once the cookies are baked and cooled (at least 30 minutes), melt the chocolate bark. Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate on the part of the cookie where the pretzels and cookie meet (3). That is like the “binding” on a broom.
That’s it! They really are so easy and fun for kids to help make too.
Make Ahead Tips
Since these broomstick cookies are so simple, I really don’t do much to make them ahead. But here are a few tips if you’d like to do so.
An option is to make the cookie dough up to a day in advance and store in the refrigerator . Before assembly and baking, let the dough sit out on the kitchen counter and allow it to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
You can also count out the pretzel sticks and store in an airtight container until you are ready. It’s a small step but it does save a few minutes of time.
Are These Cookies Freezer Friendly?
Simple Witches Broom Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 ounces chocolate almond bark melted
- 48 pretzel sticks
Instructions
Baking the Cookies
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla.
- Stir in flour and salt, just until blended. Do not overmix.
- Using a small scoop or spoon, shape dough into 24 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Insert two pretzel sticks into ball of dough.
- Press dough with tines of a fork so the edge resembles the “bristles” of a broom.
- Bake 11-13 minutes or until brown but not set. Let cool on pan for one minute.
- Remove cookies from baking sheet to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Melting the Chocolate Almond Bark
- Heat shortening and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for one minute on high. Stir. If needed, heat again for 30 seconds until chocolate is melted thoroughly.
To Finish the Witches Broom Cookies
- Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper (or I like to use a reusable silicone mat) and move cooling rack to baking sheet so that it will "catch" the extra chocolate drizzle.
- Drizzle melted chocolate at the end of where “broom” attaches to pretzel “handle”. I like to drizzle a little extra onto the pretzels too.
- Let stand until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.
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