Some of my favorite Halloween memories didn’t come from a costume or a candy haul. They came from my mom’s kitchen. These owl cookies were one of her signature recipes, and she made them for us every Halloween — a pan of wide-eyed little owls, watching you right back while they cooled.
They’re a slice-and-bake, which means the magic happens ahead of time: half the dough stays peanut butter, half goes chocolate, and the two get rolled together and chilled. Slice the roll and every cookie comes out an owl’s face — all you add is the ears, the eyes, and the beak. It’s the kind of recipe that looks like you fussed for hours and absolutely did not.
Mom’s Owl Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup shortening, soft
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter — Jif — the only brand!
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
- Semisweet chocolate pieces, for the eyes
- Whole cashews, for the beak
Directions
- Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Cream sugar and shortening. Stir in peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Mix in oats.
- Divide dough in half. Shape one half into an 8″ long roll. Stir melted chocolate into the remaining half.
- Roll out chocolate dough on waxed paper to an 8″ square. Place 8″ roll on chocolate dough.
- Wrap chocolate dough around it and pinch the seams together. Pre-shape the roll into a square and then make an indent into one side of the square the length of the roll, which will become the ears later. Wrap it all in waxed paper. Chill for 1 1/2 hours.
- Slice the roll into 1/4″ cookies. Now make the owl’s face. Pinch chocolate dough to form two ears. Use 2 chocolate chips for eyes and a cashew for the beak.
- Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12–15 minutes.
If you make a batch, I’d love to see your owls — find me on Facebook or Instagram and show them off. Happy Halloween!
— Anne