Witch's Finger Cookies for Halloween

Witch's Finger Cookies Recipe for Halloween

Create some wicked Witches Fingers Cookies for Halloween. They are an entertaining, not overly frightening Halloween treat. These cookies will garner all kinds of attention and plenty of compliments, as they are both delicious and eerie!

Even my husband, who typically dislikes nuts, found enjoyment in these Halloween-themed Sugar Cookies. He simply removed the almond 'nail' and savored the rest!

Why You Should Make Them

They were inspired by Martha Stewart, who has a fondness for Halloween!

Sugar cookies are adored by everyone!

They possess a creepy aesthetic without requiring much effort.

I recall watching Martha Stewart prepare witches’ fingers cookies for Halloween many years ago. If my memory is accurate, I believe her Halloween Cookies were tinted a light green!

Knowing they were essentially sugar cookies molded into finger shapes, I assumed my family would eagerly partake. Although, I anticipated the almonds would likely end up in the trash. Or perhaps in my mouth, if I could manage to snatch them away. They turned out to be a success!

Witches Fingers Cookies displayed upright in a white ramekin.

Expert Recommendations:

PRO-Tip: If the dough becomes warm while you are handling it, place the bowl of dough or the baking sheet with the rolled fingers into the refrigerator or freezer to cool the dough.

Chilling the dough should help minimize spreading during baking.

PRO-Tip: You can create the nails using whole almonds or sliced almonds. I was unable to locate whole blanched almonds (without the brown skin), so I blanched them myself by briefly immersing them in boiling water, then rinsing them under cold water, and removing the skin with my fingers. For further details, refer to the frequently asked questions below.

I utilized red icing gel for the bloody nail beds. If you prefer a more natural option, consider using strawberry or raspberry jelly or jam in your finger cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Witches Fingers are cookies designed to resemble fingers. To give them the appearance of being from a witch’s hand, the nails are crafted from gnarled blanched almonds, and the nail beds are made to look bloody by affixing them with red food gel.

Knuckly wrinkles are created by Indentations are created using the dull edge of a table knife, while the fingers are formed by producing symmetrical indentations along the sides of each finger.

Blanching almonds involves the removal of the dark skins from each almond by briefly immersing them in a pan of boiling water. Allow them to boil for one minute, then transfer them to a colander, rinse with cool water, and peel off the skins. Ensure they are dried thoroughly before use.

Notes

The chilling periods will assist in reducing the likelihood of the cookies spreading. If your dough appears crumbly, simply add a small amount of milk, drop by drop, until the consistency improves.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
• red food coloring, preferably paste type

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325° F. Combine dry ingredients. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla, beat in dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

If you want to paint the nails first, use some red food coloring that's been diluted with water and brush on with a clean artist's brush.

Working with one-quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remaining dough refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoons full of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press an almond firmly into one end for nail. Squeeze in center to create a knuckle shape and use a paring knife make slashes in several places to form knuckle.

Place cookies on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for three minutes. If desired, lift up almond and squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place so gel oozes out from underneath.
Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. The witch finger recipe is ready...enjoy the cookies !

cheddar-witchs-fingers-recipe

Cheddar Witch's Fingers Recipe

Cheddar Witch's Fingers Recipe

Spicy Witches’ Fingers are delicious cheese crackers that serve as a delightful snack or appetizer for Halloween or any eerie event.

Witches' Fingers Preparation

In search of a fun Halloween treat, I devised a savory recipe that would be perfect for parties or cocktail gatherings. These snacks are infused with Tabasco, cayenne pepper, and sharp cheddar cheese, creating a zesty flavor. The aroma of these witches’ fingers filled my kitchen, prompting my neighbor to inquire about my baking, as it was making her quite hungry! The fingers turned out to be somewhat plump, reminiscent of the witch from Hansel and Gretel or perhaps the fingers of children who didn’t quite make it!…lol Nevertheless, they are incredibly delicious!

Baked Witches' Fingers

The dough can be prepared in just a few minutes using a food processor and requires chilling for an hour. Shaping them is straightforward, and the blanched almonds provide an additional crunch and a playful appearance, resembling fingernails. I discovered that chilling the finished witches’ fingers for 30 minutes before baking yields better results, as they will not spread as much. While they do spread slightly due to the cheddar cheese, the flavor is so delightful that I have kept the recipe unchanged.

To enhance the creepiness of these witches’ fingers and add some extra kick, I brushed them with Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. This gives them a slightly dirty appearance and introduces a delicious umami flavor. These savory cookies can also be shaped in a more traditional manner, and you could even place the blanched almond in the center. They would pair perfectly with cocktails or a tasty Bloody Mary.

I ended up with 33 witches’ fingers, and depending on the size you shape them, you might yield a few more. These witches’ fingers are an ideal savory treat for Halloween. I hope you enjoy making them and have a fun-filled Halloween!

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb (about 1 c packed) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsps cornmeal
• 5 tbsps butter
• 3/4 c all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• 30 sliced almonds
• 1 large egg

Instructions

• In a food processor/blender or bowl, cheese, flour, whirl or rub together butter, & cornmeal until the mixture has the texture of wet sand.
• Add egg & whirl or stir with a fork until dough holds together.
• Scrape dough onto a sheet of cooking paper or parchment, 12 to 14 in.
• wide & about 14 in. long.
• Top with another equal-sized sheet of paper & pat dough into a 1/2-in. -thick circle.
• Wrap in plastic & freeze 15 mins, or put in the fridge up to 3 days.
• Roll dough into a rectangle about 8 in. wide & 10 in.long, working carefully to avoid creases in paper.
• Return to freezer for 15 mins.
• Meanwhile, preheat your trusty oven to 350°.
• Peel off top paper & use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 30 strips, each about 1/2 in.
• thick & 5 in. long.
• Place each strip on a large baking sheet.
• Sprinkle top with salt to taste, then use your fingers to round the top of each strip into a fingertip shape.
• Use a sharp knife to score shallow "knuckle" lines in each finger, then press an almond "nail" into the tip.
• If you like, bend each finger in places to make it look knobby.
• Bake the fingers until an even light brown, about 15 mins.
• Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Enjoy the Cheddar Witch's Fingers recipe
  The witch finger recipe is ready to serve...great !