Oogie Boogie’s Bug Cookies

Hey ghouls and creeps! Some of my fondest memories of Christmas when I was little involved baking and eating Gam’s famous cookies that she diligently twisted and shaped into little candy canes every year. I didn’t get to eat her cookies every year because she lived in Florida. On the years that we didn’t make the trip out to Florida to visit Gam and the fam, we would make our own candy cane cookies. This meant that my brother and I would be the ones anointed the tedious task of candy cane making and shaping. Although time-consuming, this was time we spent together as a family making these memories I look back on fondly today.

This year instead of going with old reliable, or resorting to the cookie press, I wanted to go with something a little different. Something that Oogie Boogie would love to eat but could bring to the Halloween Town Christmas party and Jack and Sally would love too (I realize this may be a little cannibalistic of Oogie Boogie, but just roll with it). So instead of traditional candy canes, this year I made candy cane striped worm cookies for the creeps and the fearless.

Oogie Boogie’s bug cookies are super easy! They can be a little time intensive when making the worms, but totally worth it!

Step 1: Combine Ingredients: Before we begin, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place all ingredients from the list above, with exception to the food coloring, in a large mixing bowl.

Use a mixer to begin combining ingredients. Once the dough becomes a sandy texture, begin squeezing the dough together by hand to fully mix the dough.

Separate the dough into equal thirds and place each third in its own bowl. Add the green and red food coloring to two of the thirds using your hand, keep adding color until you reach your desired hue. Don’t worry the food coloring will wash off your hands with some soap and water!

Step 2: Making Grubs: Take a small handful of dough from any of the bowls and roll it into a coil approximately 1/2″ thick and 6″ long.

Place coil on a cookie sheet and shape it into your desired worm shape. Be careful to not crack or tear the coil as your molding your shape. If this happens, simply smooth the area over with your finger gently.

Once you have your worm, begin rolling the bands of color. To do this, choose a contrasting dough color and roll a small amount into a teardrop like shape with two points on each side.

Wrap the band around the worm body, and press band delicately to the top and sides of the worm to stick in place.

Continue these steps, spacing bands out uniformly until worm is completely decorated.

Roll a little ball of dough in the same color dough as the bands.

Push and manipulate dough ball to cover one end of the worm to make the head.

Use a toothpick when creating the worm’s eyes.

Repeat previous steps to fill your cookie sheet with worm cookies and place in oven.

Step 3: Baking Cookies: Bake your cookies 6-9 minutes, or until very lightly brown. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes prior to removing them.

Place cookies on wax paper for further cooling prior to putting them in a storage container.

You’re finished! Enjoy your work and take a bite!

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