Hallowe'en Witch Finger Cookies

   Hallowe'en is one of my favourite times of the year.  I love making costumes and over the years we've had some pretty awesome costumes: a 2-headed monster, a flapper, Princess Jasmine, a stegasaurus. Usually I have a simple costume that's a pun (I carry a plastic cleaver and a box of cereal and become a cereal killer.  Get it?) Tegan's costume was always a challenge because she wanted to BE the thing, not just represent the thing.

   Hallowe'en wouldn't be Hallowe'en without cookies.  Sugar cookies that look like skeletons, frankenstein and  mummies are fun to decorate.  But these finger cookies are as easy & delicious as they are macabre.  If you add green food colouring to the dough and use the decorator gel to glue in the almonds, they are awesome.
  


Witch Fingers Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup icing sugar

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup whole almonds

1 tube red decorator gel or icing (blood for fingers)

In bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla; 

beat in flour, baking powder and salt. 

Cover or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remaining dough

refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoonful (5 mL) of dough into finger shape for each

cookie.

When you are rolling the finger, roll it with one side against your left palm and the other side against your right fingers.  This will leave "knuckle" shapes.

Using paring knife, make slashes in several places to form knuckle.

Press almond firmly into one end for nail.

Place on lightly greased baking sheets; bake in 350°F (160°C) oven for 18 to 25

minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes. 

Lift up almond; squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back into place, so gel oozes out from underneath. 

Remove from baking sheets; let cool on racks.