Witchy-Poo Fingers

Lennie's Note:

According to the Canadian Living Test Kitchen, this is their most requested Hallowe'en recipe. I haven't made them, but think I will this year. Sounds ghoulishly good!

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 60 cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
• 1 cup icing sugar (sift through a sieve after measuring to remove lumps)
• 1 large egg (room temp)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup whole blanched almond (you need about 60)
• red decorating gel , as needed

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat butter sugar, egg and extracts together.
2. In another mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture, then cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F; have cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper, ready.
5. Remove only 1/4 of the dough from refrigerator (leave rest refrigerated to stay cold); measure out heaping teaspoonfuls and shape into fingers.
6. Press an almond firmly into the end of each"finger" to make the fingernail.
7. Below the almond and at the opposite end of the finger, press in dough to create knuckle halfway down; using the back of a table knife, make indents into the knuckle (look at your own fingers to get an idea of what this should look like).
8. If you want really big ugly fingers with two gnarled knuckles, use about a tbsp of dough per cookie.
9. Place on paper-lined cookie sheets and bake in preheated oven until a pale golden colour--about 20 to 25 minutes.
10. After first sheet goes into the oven, remove more dough from the fridge to make more fingers.
11. When cookies are done, remove from oven and let cool for three minutes.
12. Carefully lift up almond from each finger and squeeze some red decorating gel onto nail bed, then press almond back into place; the red gel will creepily ooze out.
13. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

Reviews

[beth]

Made these last night for tonight-Halloween! They are great. They look nice and creepy and actually are right tastey. They were simple to make. I did add a little more flour, maybe a 1/4 cup and baked them for about 20 minutes till slightly brown on the bottom. This will most likely be a Halloween tradition in our house. They were spooktacular!!!!!(maniacal laugh)

[Valerie in Australia]

Sorry Just reviewing now... Big Hit for Halloween. Taste great and very scarey....I added red decorateing gel on the knuckles to look like blood.

[JaniceJean]

I made a similar recipe for my 8 year old from Taste of Home- she was actually a little nervous to bring to school as they were so realistic- they were a big hit and we enjoyed making them alot! Great for kids!!!!