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Cookies made to look like witch fingers are a fun and festive addition to a Halloween gathering.
Photo by Fotolia/postsmth
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About 5 dozen cookies SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup whole almonds
- 1 tube (3/4 ounce) black decorating gel
- 1 tube (3/4 ounce) red decorating gel
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine butter, confectioner’s sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla with an electric mixer. With mixer running, gradually add flour, baking powder and salt, mixing until thoroughly blended. Cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly grease baking sheets; set aside.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and separate into 5 equal portions. Return 4 portions to refrigerator. (Keeping the dough well-chilled and firm makes shaping the fingers much easier.) Place 1 heaping teaspoon of dough on a piece of wax paper. Use the wax paper to roll the dough into a long, thin, finger-shaped cookie. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Press an almond into one end of each cookie, to create a fingernail. Squeeze the dough near the tip and in the center of each cookie, to form knuckles. Using a sharp knife, cut into the dough at the knuckles to emphasize them. Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cookies are slightly golden. Remove from oven and immediately remove the almonds. Squeeze a small amount of black gel into the cavity, and then replace the almond, pressing gently so the gel oozes out around the “cuticle” of the nail. Dip the “cut off” end of the finger in red gel. Let the cookies dry and cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.
- Repeat with remaining portions of cookie dough.Every good party needs a nice spread. Use this and our other Festive Halloween Party Snacks at your next big gathering to impress your guests!
