Nail Biting Witch Finger Cookies...

Happy Halloween...

Don't have time to make fancy Halloween treats?

Why not gross everyone out with these creepy cookies. ...

When I think of Halloween the first thing that comes to mind is candy, but this year I wanted to try something a little different - Witch Finger Cookies, so I thought I would give that a try.

I have to say from the start I am not what you call good at making cookies. I have a tendency to either under cook or burn cookies; I can never get them to be just right.

My cookie adventure ...

All set to go into the oven...

Once they are done, let them 'sit' on the baking tray for at least 5 minutes – I discovered that the hard way... !

My mom would say patience is not one of my virtues. After they rest for 5 minutes, place your slightly cooled cookies out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

As my cookies cooled, I set out to decide on how I wanted to finish my fingers.....

I like the look of painting the fingernails with red gel.

WITCH FINGER COOKIES
Ingredients:

1 cup Butter - room temperature

1 cup Icing Sugar

1 large Egg

1 tsp Almond Extract

1 tsp Vanila essence

2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Corn Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

3/4 cupwhole blanched Almond

(I ran of stock of Almonds, so I use Cashew Nuts instead)

Red Piping Gel - blood for fingers.

(or you can also use Strawberry Jam.. anything red and bloody will do the trick...!)

Preparation:
In bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla; beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remaining dough refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoonful of dough into finger shape for each cookie.

Press Cashew nut firmly into end for nail. Squeeze in centre to create knuckle shape; using paring knife, make slashes in several places to form knuckle.

Place on lightly greased baking sheet.

Lift up cashew nut (or you can leave it as it is) ; squeeze red piping gel onto nail bed and press cachew nut back into place, so gel oozes out from underneath. I was hoping it would give them that spooky witch look I was going for, and it did...!

Remove from baking sheets; let cool on racks. Repeat with remaining dough.

Now go and freak out some kids...!