Chocolate Halloween Witch Hats

I love this spooky poem, and I love seeing “little twitchy witches” come to our door on Halloween. Thinking back on the Halloween costumes in my life, I think I have dressed up as a witch more than anything else.

I have worn enough witch costumes that they edge out the many times I wore a “hobo” costume as a kid (i.e., wear one of dad’s old shirts with a pillow stuffed inside; use mom’s eyeliner to draw on facial hair,) and the “punk rocker” costume of my teen years. (Glittery, multi-color hair spray, loads of makeup.)

These witchy hats treats are just as endearing as witchy costumes, which are WAY more endearing than hobo or punk rocker costumes.

Their appeal is one part chocolaty coating on the pointy part of the hat, one part chocolaty cookie at the bottom, and one part hidden treats inside!

My fruit roll-ups had “tattoos” on them, but when they’re rolled up the tattoos just look like part of the streaky color.

The cookies at the base are larger versions of Chocolate Thins, so the entire outside of the hat is just as delicious to eat as the treat it holds.

And that treat is up to you! I filled my Witch Hats with candy corn, mellowcreme pumpkins, and fruit gummies! (The fruit gummies here are the Pokémon variety, but you can use your favorite brand or shape. If you can find Halloween gummies, more props to you!)

This recipe makes 12 Witch Hats, and they are good-sized which means that one per kid will work just fine.

They will be a lot of fun at a Halloween party, or as special trick-or-treat goodies for your nieces, nephews, grand kids, favorite neighbor kids, etc!

Chocolate Halloween Witch Hats

Course: Cookies, Dessert, Halloween

Cuisine: Sweet

Servings: 12 witches hats

Author: Nancy Mock

For the fruit roll-ups I used the Cherry Orange Wildfire flavor that came in the variety pack of Betty Crocker Fruit Roll-ups. The orange color is what's important. 

Semisweet chocolate chips could be used in place of the Candy Melts if your prefer. I like the Candy Melts for this recipe because they melt quickly and smoothly, and they harden very quickly as well. If you use chocolate chips, you will need to allow more time for the chocolate to harden. 

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Ingredients

• 2/3  cup  cocoa powder
• 2-1/4  cup  all-purpose flour, unbleached
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 3/4  cups  granulated sugar
• 1-1/4  cups  dark brown sugar
• 1  cup  butter, softened
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla
• 1  egg
• 1  tablespoon  strong coffee
• 12 ounces Wilton Dark Cocoa Candy Melts
• 12 sugar cones
• 4 orange-colored fruit roll-ups
• Candies of your choice to fill hats (like fruit gummy snacks, candy corn, mellowcreme pumpkins, M&M's, fun-size candy bars, etc.)

Instructions

Make the cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugar, brown sugar, and butter for about 3 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
4. Add in the vanilla and egg, and mix until combined. Mix in the coffee.
5. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 2 or 3 additions, and mix together on low speed until combined. The mixture will be a little sticky.
6. Drop the dough onto the lined baking sheets using a 3-tablespoon sized ice cream scoop with about 2 inches between each cookie.
7. Bake the cookies for about 18-20 minutes. The cookies will flatten and be just firm enough to easily move with a spatula. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Coat the cones:

1. Place a piece of wax paper on your work surface that is large enough to hold all 12 cones.
2. Place the candy melts in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate in 30 second bursts, stirring between each one until the chocolate is smooth and melted.
3. Hold a cone by the tip and gently cover the cone with the melted chocolate using a pastry brush to brush it on, or a spoon to smooth it on. Once all but the tip of the cone is covered in chocolate, stand the cone on the wax paper. Use the brush or spoon to cover the tip in chocolate as well. Repeat this with the rest of the sugar cones. Allow the cones to rest until the chocolate has hardened and can be touched. Reserve the leftover melted chocolate for assembling the hats.

Assemble the hats:

1. Have ready the cooled cookies, the chocolate coated sugar cones, the leftover melted chocolate (if it has hardened, microwave it in 30 second bursts, stirring between each until it is melted again.) and the candies to fill the cones.
2. Pick up one of the cones and fill it with the candy of your choice: the candy should come up no higher than just below the rim of the cone. Paint melted chocolate on the rim of the cone. Take one of the cookies and place it on the cone (top of the cookie touching the cone) so that the cone is in the middle of the cookie. Carefully invert the whole thing and set it down on your work area. It should now look like a witches hat! If the cone is wobbly on top of the cookie, dab some melted chocolate where the cone meets the cookie. Repeat these steps to fill all the cones and join them with the cookies. Allow the hats to sit until the chocolate has hardened.
3. Unroll the fruit roll-ups. (My fruit roll-ups were sticky and difficult to unroll without tearing. If yours are like this too, pop them into the freezer for 5 minutes and they will unroll easily.) Cut each fruit roll-up lengthwise into 3 pieces. Roll each piece up from the long edge into a rope. Gently twist and stretch each rope (being careful not to tear them) until they are long enough to wrap around the cone.
4. Wrap each hat with the fruit roll-up rope: the rope should go where the cone meets the cookie so that it looks like the band on a witches hat. Pinch the ends of the roll-up together in the back.
5. Arrange the hats on a platter to serve immediately, or keep them in a covered container in a cool place out of direct sunlight until it's time to share them. The assembled hats will last about two days.

Recipe Notes

Create... Be Curious... Celebrate... with food!