spooky witches' fingers

Ingredients

• Servings: 60
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup whole almonds
• 1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel

Recipe

Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 15 mins


• combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.
• preheat oven to 325 degrees f (165 degrees c). lightly grease baking sheets.
• remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time a piece of waxed paper. use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. you can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.
• bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.
• remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze a small amount of red decorating gel into the cavity; replace the almond to cause the gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie.