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American

Witch Finger Cookies

Almond-scented green shortbread shaped into knobby fingers with an almond-slice fingernail and a red gel smear. Creepy, buttery and fun to make.

dessert_biteMediumAmerican
Prep35 minCook20 minTotal55 minServes28Temproom-temperature
✓ vegetarian
⚠ Contains: 🌾 Gluten, 🥛 Dairy, 🥚 Egg, tree nuts
Recipe
Ingredients
  • 1 cupunsalted butter(softened)
  • 1 cuppowdered sugar
  • 1 wholeegg
  • 1 tspalmond extract
  • 1 tspvanilla extract
  • 2.75 cupsall-purpose flour
  • 1 tspbaking powder
  • 1 tspsalt(1/2 tsp if using salted butter)
  • 15 dropsgreen food coloring(15 to 20 drops)
  • 1 tspred decorating gel(1 to 2 tsp, or seedless raspberry jam)
  • 28 slicessliced almonds
Make Ahead

Ahead of Thyme notes the dough keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer, so you can shape and bake closer to the party.

Instructions
  1. 1Cream the butter, powdered sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla until smooth.
  2. 2Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt, then the green food coloring if using. Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
  3. 3Heat the oven to 325°F. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into finger shapes and press a toothpick across each one to mark knuckles.
  4. 4Bake for 18 to 20 minutes and let the cookies cool.
  5. 5Attach an almond slice to the tip of each finger with a dab of red gel or jam so it looks like a bloody nail.
Notes
History & Origin

Witch finger cookies are a long-standing Halloween bake: a buttery almond-extract dough rolled into fingers, scored for knuckles and tipped with an almond fingernail. This version follows Somewhat Simple, the most-rated version found, and matches the build used by Recipe Girl, Six Sisters' Stuff and Ahead of Thyme.

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Reviewed & Verified byGayle PerreaultBar & Service Manager · 25+ Years Industry Experience · About Us
Pairs Well With
rumwhiskeycoffee-liqueur
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American◆Medium