Witch Finger Cookies

Recipe by Shaina White

This is our only Halloween tradition! The kids love making these, and they do look pretty spooky but taste delicious.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar (confectionery)
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (½ teaspoon salt if using salted butter)
¾ cup whole blanched almonds (or slivered almonds, or whatever kind you want) Green food coloring
1 tube red decorator gel

01
In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla extract; beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
02
Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into one end for the nail. Squeeze in center to create knuckle shape; using a paring knife or toothpick, make several places to form knuckle.
03
Place on lightly greased baking sheets or parchment lined baking sheets Bake in a 325 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes. Lift up almond; squeez red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond into place so gel oozes out from underneath. Let cool. Makes about 28 large cigar size cookies. If you only use 1 teaspoon of dough, you will get about 4 dozen cookies.