Saturday, October 22, 2011

Witch Finger Cookies




As a little side to go with yesterday's Pumpkin Spice Mousse, I made these witch finger cookies.  They are nothing new, I've seen them all over the web and in many variations.  They are, however, tasty and a LOT of fun to both make and eat.  Oh, did I mention easy?  They're that too. 

A tray of Witch Finger Cookies ready for the oven.
Witch Finger Cookies
Makes 30

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg, beaten to blend, use half (eyeball it)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup whole almonds

Combine the butter, sugar, egg, and extracts in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy.  With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix until combined.  Do not over mix!  Remove to a piece of waxed paper, form into a disc, cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets, or use parchment or a Silpat. Remove dough from refrigerator and pinch off pieces about the size of a walnut. Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. 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. Using a toothpick, cut into the dough at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.



Variations:

Green food coloring can be added for a more "witch-y" finger
Ends can be dipped into red jam to look like blood
Almonds may be affixed with red decorating gel 



11 comments:

  1. Your talent never ceases to amaze me Patti! Way cool...

    P.S. Happy Nut Day!

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  2. What a fun Halloween treat! The pumpkin mousse looks terrific, too!!

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  3. I haven't made finger cookies in years. How creepy but fun for Halloween, my favorite holiday!

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  4. OOh, scary! These look so realistic. You did a great job! Thanks for sharing on Sweet Indulgences Sunday.

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  5. Yours are the most realistic witch fingers I've seen! Scarily good~ I love this time of year :)

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  6. Oh, goodness, Pattie! These witch fingers are great! What fun for Halloween! Happy Seasonal Sunday!

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  7. Love these Witch Finger Cookies! And its always nice to find a visually delightful Seasonal Treat that does not require a Culinary Degree to create, thanks for sharing the recipe & instructions.

    Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

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  8. They turned out great, so much fun:@)

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  9. I've been seeing them all over the 'net too and can't wait to try making some this weekend. Yours turned out great.

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  10. They look so real!
    Have a great week, Pattie...

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Thank you so much for commenting, I love every one of them! I am, however, unable to respond to anonymous comments.