Creepy Witch finger cookies are a perfect Halloween treat. How can something that tastes this good look so bad?
My boys used to just love to help me make creepy Witch finger cookies. They especially loved putting on the almond fingernail and watching the “blood” squeeze out. Why do boys love gross things?
This is an extremely easy recipe. Not much to it at all.
You will need unsalted butter, powdered sugar (confectionery), flour, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, almond extract, green food coloring, whole blanched almonds and a tub of decorators gel.
Whoops. And one egg.
In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter.
Add powdered sugar.
add the egg,
vanilla extract,
and almond extract.
Mix until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour
and the salt and baking powder.
Note: If by chance you do not have unsalted butter, lessen the amount of salt from 1 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon.
Mix until a stiff dough forms.
Add a few drops of green food coloring until you get the “green” that you want.
This is the green I want.
Scrape the cookies mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap.
Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Make sure your blanched almonds are ready to go.
Along with the decorating gel. You will need this after the cookies have baked.
After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the refrigerator.
I’m using an ice cream scoop to measure the dough. That way my fingers will be somewhat uniform in size and shape – somewhat.
I’m using about 1 tablespoon or more of dough.
Scoop out a portion of dough.
Roll the dough into the shape of a finger.
Place a blanched almond on the tip of the finger and press it in slightly. Shape the tip of the finger around the almond.
I realize that there are two witch fingers in the picture. I’m really not as old as my hands make me appear. Those disgusting fingernails and wrinkles come from years of washing toilets and sinks and everything else.
I really need a manicure.
Quick! Which finger is the most creepy?
Back on track. Make an indentation where you think a knuckle would be on a witch.
Using a toothpick or tip of a knife, make lines in the finger to recreate the wrinkles in my finger.
Place the fingers on a cookie sheet. I always line my cookie sheets with parchment.
Yes. I am too lazy to wash them.
Place in a preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just barely beginning to turn golden.
As you can see the cookies spread out a bit. I really should have made these a bit smaller. Oh well, you get it. Right? Let the cookies cool for about 3 minutes.
Carefully remove the almonds.
Squeeze a bit of the red gel into the indentation.
Press the almond back in place and the blood will ooze out around the fingernail. Gross! This is Halloween. Gross is in.
Repeat on the remaining fingers.
Chubby edible creepy Witch finger cookies
Creepy Witch Finger Cookies
Tender crisp butter cookie shaped witch fingers. Creepy Witch finger cookies are a perfect Halloween treat. How can something that tastes this good look so bad?
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 28 coolies
Calories 77 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar confectionery
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Almond extract
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon salt, if using salted butter
- 3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
- green food coloring
- 1 tube red decorator gel
Instructions
- In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla extract; beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into one end for the nail. Squeeze in center to create knuckle shape; using a paring knife or toothpick, make several places to form knuckle.
Place on lightly greased baking sheets or parchment lined baking sheets. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes.
Lift up almond; squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back into place, so gel oozes out from underneath. Let cool. Makes about 28 large cigar size cookies. If you only use 1 teaspoon of dough, you will get about 4 dozen cookies.
Recipe Notes
- If you only use 1 teaspoon of dough, you will get about 4 dozen cookies.
Nutrition Facts
Creepy Witch Finger Cookies
Amount Per Serving (48 g)
Calories 77 Calories from Fat 41
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4.5g 7%
Saturated Fat 2.5g 13%
Cholesterol 14mg 5%
Sodium 79mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 8.2g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0.03g 0%
Sugars 2.5g
Protein 1.1g 2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This looks really creepy..Should try it some day…Thanks for the recipe dear.
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These are so fun.. seeing them everywhere right now… You make it look surprisingly easier than expected. Thanks for sharing!
These ARE easy, because they don't have to look good. That's helpful for me.
This is super impressive. A couple of questions please, can we make a chocolate form of this? should I add cocoa powder? if yes, what quantities? or should I just shower the dough with chocolate chips? Is the texture of this thing crispy wafer like or soft cookie like?
Lastly, please do not badmouth your hands. We're your fans, we love what those hands can do. And the only reason you can conjure up such wonderful recipes to share is because those hands are willing to experiment instead of sitting pretty being pictured for some glossy magazine and struggling to not clutch at that next batch of fresh cookies.
Cristina
Thanks Cristina. You made me laugh out loud. I'll be more careful about bashing myself. I really think you can make these witch fingers with chocolate. I think you'd be fine adding a few tablespoons of cocoa powder. Let me know how they work out.
Very creepy! I am going to link to these in my upcoming Halloween Recipes post!
So fun. Thank you. The are pretty gross, aren't they?
They look amazing, will try to do them tomorrow. Greetings!
So much fun for Halloween. Thanks for commenting.
Just made these last night, and they were great. We joke that something that tastes so good has never felt so wrong! I couldn't find blanched whole almonds anywhere here (five stores!) and ended up using marcona almonds instead — actually worked pretty well due to the coloring/veining of the nuts, making them extra creepy and old-looking! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
You are even more awesome than the finished product. Loved the commentary and wish you were my neighbor! Happy holidays
i bet if you placed a few chocolate chip on them as they are cooling they could even look like warts…
What a great idea!
These are Great! I can't wait to make them for my grandkids. Thank you!!!
Aren't grandkids the best? Thanks for your kind comment.
i;ve GOT to do this with my grandkids…. i didn't have this recipe when MY girls were little.
thanks! like all your funny comments about your own hands! 😉
could you put the almonds in food coloring to have colored fingernails.
I'm not sure. I have never tried that. Why not?
would this work with the tubes of cookie dough?
I really don't think so. The dough will spread out and you will have a flat blob with an almond stuck to it. Pre-made cookie dough is less than delicious. These cookies may look gross, but taste delicious. They're more along the lines of a shortbread. Sorry for the bad news 🙁
Yes, you can use with pre-made cookie dough, just add one cup flour to the dough. If it gets too hard, add a couple of drops of water and work it in really well!
I just want to say this is a great recipe and thanks so much for sharing. But please don't say such bad things about yourself. Your hands may appear aged, as have mine, but your hands, and nails, look just lovely to me! Very well maintained, NOT another witch hand at all!!
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Rest assured it will be used for evil :). Still laughing about the second witch hand. Don't be so critical of your hands… I'm the same way ha ha ha
Made these last night for son's party today. He said mom these are creepy looking lol i said good thanks for posting
Ha ha. That's so funny. You baked complete success. thanks for sharing your story I have smiled all day.
Just made these for my son's class for tomorrow…they are amazing! He loves how creepy they look. He even helped make them! Thanks for the recipe!
I couldn't find almonds so I used pumpkin seeds. Worked out great.
That's great. I like that idea even better. Thanks for sharing your great tip.
I love them. Please allow me to add to my 2014 Halloween recipes ideas thanks!
Absolutely! You have a great Halloween recipe collection. Great Pinterest site.
When baking the witch fingers, they fall flat. Why?
Hmmmmm…did you refrigerate them for at least 30 min? You may need to add an additional 2 tbl. flour and refrigerate longer or overnight.
Love the step-by-step guide with the pictures and the laughs to go with it! Will be trying this soon. Thank you.
Thank you so much. I hope you do try them.
Can I use jam instead of deco gel?
Absolutely. What a great idea.
Can these b made ahead like a day or 2 and put in tpperware container and should container b put in fridge or cupboard
Yes they can be made in advance. I have put them in the freezer for a week. They are pretty much a shortbread cookie, which will keep in a container for several days.
I have made this recipe a few times now over the years around Halloween and I love it. It's always a hit at the office.
To make the fingers extra creepy looking I cut the finger with a knife at the other end to make it look like they were severed off the hand and then I brush on some of the red decorating gel on the end to make them look like bloody severed fingers. Happy Halloween!
Ha ha what an awesome idea!!
Just made these with my grandson and they looked fine until we cooked them and they just spread into one big flat mass with almonds in. Don't know what we did wrong!!!!
I'm so sorry you had problems. I have not experienced the fingers spreading out. Try refrigerating the dough next time???
I have used this recipe three years in a row now! Everyone loves them so much they have become a Halloween tradition 🙂
I used raspberry jam instead of red gel and then add a little jam/shredded coconut to simulate nerve endings & blood at the base of the finger.
They look so gross but taste so good!
Ha ha now that's just gross. I'm sure kids love them. Thanks for sharing a great idea.
Hello , I tried this recipe today for my office party , everything seems to work out well until they were baked . They spread and ended up becoming flat Bob fat fingers . I did chill the dough for about 30 mins . Don’t know what went wrong . Would like to try this again
Hi Kareina, I’m so sorry your fingers didn’t turn out. It’s hard for me to know what the problem could have been, so lets trouble shoot a couple of areas. Soften the butter only until soft enough to push a finger dent into it. Does that make sense? Don’t let the butter come to room temperature. Just soft enough to mix. Try adding 2 tablespoons more flour to help the dough hold it’s shape. You could, also, try refrigerating as long as an hour. I hope these tips help. I’ll feel so bad if your fingers flatten out again. Keep in touch.
Thank u so much ! I might give them a try again today . I’ll keep the tips in mind , I melted the butter completely .. so that might have been one of the reasons .
Best of luck.
Any idea what might have went wrong ? ?
These are a hit! I make them with ras jam instead Of red cake deCorating gel. Theyre deliciously creepy
Raspberry jam is such a great idea with healthier benefits. I’m so glad they were a hit and yes, so creepy.
I like to use a clean paint brush and brush cocoa powder into the knuckles and around the fingertip. This gives them depth and makes them look a little dirty adding to the overall creepiness. 🙂
This is such an awesome idea!!!! I love it!! Thank you so much for sharing. I will try that when I make the cookies tomorrow. Brilliant!
Can the cookie dough be left in the fridg overniGht?
Yes you can leave the dough in the frig overnight. If the dough seems to hard to roll, just let sit at room temp for a bit until it is easy to handle. Happy Halloween.
Just made these and they came out perfect but I had to adjust one thing: I needed waaaay more flour than what’s in the recipe.
So to everyone who has problems with the dough: just add flour until you can form the dough with your hands without it sticking to your palms.
Make sure you use some extract (I added vanilla, almonds and some oranges to the other batch) to give them flavour.
Refrigerate them for an hour before baking and work in batches so they don’ t get warm.
My cookies held their shape completely, they haven’t gotten flat and they changed size only minimally.
Thank you for taking the time to give such great advice.