Creepy Witch Finger Cookies (Printable View)

Spooky almond-flavored cookies shaped like witch fingers with bloody fingernails. Perfect Halloween treat.

# What You Need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
05 - ½ teaspoon almond extract
06 - 2 ¾ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
08 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Decoration

09 - 24 whole blanched almonds
10 - Red gel food coloring or strawberry jam

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer.
03 - Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until dough forms.
06 - Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll between your hands into a finger shape, approximately 3–4 inches long. Use a knife to create knuckle lines and gently press a blanched almond at one end to create a fingernail.
07 - Place shaped fingers on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 18–20 minutes until lightly golden.
08 - Remove almonds, apply red food coloring or jam to the fingernail bed, and press the almond back in place.
09 - Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These are the cookies that make people actually gasp and then immediately grab more because they taste even better than they look
  • The dough comes together in one bowl and the shaping process becomes weirdly satisfying once you find your rhythm
02 -
  • Work quickly when shaping because the butter in the dough starts to soften from your hands which makes it harder to get those crisp knuckle details
  • The red gel looks more gruesome than jam and won't soak into the cookie as much though both work perfectly fine
03 -
  • Chill your baking sheets between batches so the cookies hold their shape better in the oven
  • If you want different colored fingers tint small portions of dough with green or gray food coloring before shaping

Return