Step 1

Start with 2 dozen cookies in various sizes of circles and ovals. Half of these should be whole cookies and half should have the centers cut out. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (make sure you have some hot pads under it) and place the cookies with the cut out centers on it, nice side down (whatever side you want to face outward on the finish cookies should be turned down on the parchment).

Step 2

Melt your isomalt. Allow the hot isomalt to sit for a couple of minutes so that the bubbles have a chance to disperse. To fill the center of your cookies, pour the isomalt into the center in a thin stream and work your way out towards the edges. Make sure you fill in all the little gaps. Allow the isomalt to harden completely before removing from the parchment (1-2 hours).

Step 3

If you want completely see-through isomalt, heat up a knife with a chef’s torch and gently run it over the top of the isomalt. If you want your isomalt to be clear in places but opaque in others (like mine), do a couple of passes with the hot knife and then let them sit out for a day or two. The humidity which naturally cause the isomalt to fog over.

Step 4

Using a small, food-only brush, paint some ghosts directly onto the whole cookies. If you need a guideline for where the see-through part of the top cookies is, paint a few lines of white onto the back of one of the cookies around the isomalt and gently press it against the cookie you’ll be painting on. Allow the ghosts to dry completely before assembling.

Step 5

To assemble your cookies, use a little royal icing to glue the cookies with isomalt over the cookies you’ve painted with ghosts. Tint your remaining royal icing light yellow and pipe a border around the isomalt. Let harden completely (3-4 hours). Once the royal icing is dry, paint it with a mixture of gold powdered food coloring and a few drops of vodka.