Ingredients:

  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons Black Gel Food Colouring (Must be gel/paste)
  • 4 cups Confectioners' Sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons Warm Water
  • Pinch White Gel Food Colouring (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
  3. Add Wet Ingredients and Colour: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and black gel food colouring until fully incorporated and the mixture is uniformly black. Scrape down the bowl.
  4. Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed, mixing only until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Chill Dough: Divide the dough into two disks, wrap tightly in cling film, and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 40 minutes.
  6. Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Roll and Cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough out to an even 1/4 inch (6 mm) thickness. Use cutters to cut shapes.
  8. Re-Chill Cutouts (Pro Tip): Transfer the cut cookie shapes to the lined baking sheets. Place the sheets in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking—this prevents spreading.
  9. Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Since the cookies are dark, check doneness by looking for set edges.
  10. Cool: Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
  11. Prepare Icing Base: In a clean, large bowl, combine the sifted confectioners' sugar and meringue powder. Slowly add the water, beating on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat for 5–7 minutes until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  12. Create Two Consistencies: Remove about 1/2 cup of icing for Piping/Outline Consistency (thick peak). Add water to the rest for Flood Consistency (the 8–10 second rule).
  13. Decorate the Base: Use the flood consistency icing to fully fill the surface of the black cookie. Use an offset spatula or toothpick to push the icing to the edges.
  14. Draw the Web (Wet-on-Wet Technique): Immediately after flooding, use the piping consistency icing to pipe 3–4 concentric circles across the wet flood icing.
  15. Take a clean toothpick or skewer, and drag it through the circles, starting from the centre outwards, pulling lines to create the spiderweb effect. Wipe the toothpick clean after each drag. Allow the decorated cookies to dry completely at room temperature (4–6 hours) until the surface is rock solid.