Witch Finger Cookies

Creep out your guests with these realistic Witch Finger Cookies, complete with oozing red 'blood'!

100 min Serves 60 Medium American

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Create spooky witch finger cookies that look alarmingly real. A buttery almond-flavored dough is tinted green, shaped into gnarled fingers, and topped with a blanched almond nail. After baking, a dab of red gel makes them ooze ghoulishly.

Directions

In a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and airy. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts and blend thoroughly.

Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Stir in green gel food coloring drop by drop until you achieve a suitably eerie green. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes so it's easier to handle.

Set your oven to 325°F and cover baking sheets with parchment paper.

Take a heaping teaspoon of dough (keep the rest in the fridge) and roll it into a finger-like shape on parchment paper. Gently pinch to create knuckle bumps. Use the back of a knife or a toothpick to draw lines for wrinkles. Press an almond firmly into the tip to form a nail bed with a nail. Space cookies about an inch apart on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to rest on the sheet for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool entirely. Once cool, pull out the almonds, pipe a small amount of red decorating gel into the indent, and reinsert the almond so the gel seeps out around the edges.