WITCH FINGER COOKIES

RECIPE AND PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Rosetta Sperring

Visit Rosetta’s Blog to see more photos http://rosettabakes.com/

“Witch Finger Cookies” (Almond Sugar Cookies)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup whole almonds

1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel (or make your own decorating icing and tint red)

* Green food coloring or paste

* Red food coloring

Directions:

1). Slice almonds in half (this takes time so do ahead) and dye almonds or paint food coloring on almonds with a cookie paint brush. Let dry ahead of time.

2). Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating. Tint cookie dough with green food coloring to desired shade of green. Refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.

3). Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease baking sheets (I use parchment paper).

4). Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper (or counter-top). Roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie (approx 5″ in length). Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance.

Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.

5). Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.

6). Remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze a small amount of red decorating gel into the cavity; replace the almond to cause the gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie. You can also pipe red decorating gel on the ends to give the apperance the witch finger was cut off!

optional: You can sprinkle sugar crystals on top cookies before baking if you like additional sweetness.

This recipe was from Martha Stewart’s Halloween Magazine.