Severed Fingers Halloween Cookie Recipe

Severed Finger Cookies or Witches Finger Cookies are one of the most popular Halloween sugar cookie recipes out there. They're fun to make (let the kids help!) and you can make them as gross or funny as you like.

When it comes time to decorate this spooky Halloween cookie recipe, the sky's the limit. Some people like to make them subtle and not-too-scary. Others like to make them as realistic-looking as possible. For an extra dose of realism, stick a sliver of almond in the "severed" end of your fingers before baking to make a severed bone-- very realistic. Decorate severed ends and under "nails" with red food coloring or red gel decorator's frosting. Makes 5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 C. butter, softened
1 C. powdered sugar
2/3 C. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 1/3 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. (or so) whole almonds, blanched
Red food coloring; or
Red gel decorator's frosting

Instructions: 1. In a small bowl, combine the two egg yolks, the two whole eggs, the vanilla extract, and the almond extract.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, sugar, and salt until well combined. Beat in the egg-vanilla mixture.

3. Spoon dough out onto a length of plastic wrap. Wrap up tightly and refrigerate until firm, about 30-40 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

5. When firm, cut about 1/4 of the dough to work with and leave the rest chilling in the refrigerator.

6. Divide your piece of dough into 15 pieces. Rolling between your hands or on a floured surface, make each piece a thin cylinder.

7. Shape cylinder into a finger, leaving ridges for knuckles. Because this Halloween sugar cookie recipe puffs during baking, you want to make the fingers skinnier than you want the final product to be. The fingers don't have to be perfect-- the crooked ones often look the creepiest.

8. Using a small knife, cut a few small ridges for knuckles.

9. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

10. Right before baking press a blanched almond into the fingertip, pointy end up.

11. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Cool completely-- they will be fragile until they cool.

12. Decorate around fingernails and severed "stub" end with red food coloring or red gel frosting.

Note: If, when your fingers are almost done baking, they don't look the way you want them to, you can pull them out of the oven a minute or two early and press and reshape the almost-cooked dough. Careful, though-- it's hot! Return to the oven to finish baking. © 2008 Divine Dinner Party.com - http://www.divinedinnerparty.com