Witch Fingers Food

SPOOKY WITCHES' FINGERS

Steps:

• 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 onto 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.

WITCH FINGER BREADSTICKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Whisk the oil, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl.
• Lightly flour a work surface and divide the dough into 10 equal portions with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Roll each portion into a 10-inch rope. Twist each rope in the middle and arrange on the prepared baking sheets. (Each twist will look like a gnarly witch knuckle.)
• Brush the breadsticks with the seasoned oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Firmly press an olive half on the end of each breadstick to stick to the dough. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

HALLOWEEN WITCHES' FINGERS BREADSTICKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or, if the temperature on your package of refrigerated breadstick dough indicates a different temperature, follow the temperature on the package. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
• Unroll the breadsticks onto a large cutting board (or your counter or wherever you like to do doughy things).
• Using a pizza cutter, slice each breadstick in half vertically and again horizontally. Each breadstick should be about 3-4 inches long and 1/2-inch to 1 inch wide, but perfection is highly discouraged! The more rustic the more realistic. :)
• Roll the dough a bit to round it a bit/give it more of a finger shape. Lay it on the baking sheet.
• Using your thumb, press down on the narrowest tip of each breadstick. If using almonds, press a sliced almond onto each tip. If using bell peppers, you'll add them AFTER the breadsticks have baked.
• Now, you have a couple of options. You can grab the pizza cutter or a bread knife and press a three or four horizontal lines into the middle of the breadstick so it'll look a bit like a knuckle. And/or, if desired, brush lightly with egg. This will give them a slightly shinier and more golden appearance. Or skip those steps and just stick 'em in the oven already!
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, until puffy and starting to brown on the top. But again, if the label on your breadsticks indicates a different time, I recommend going by that time and just checking them often.
• Let cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• If adding bell pepper for the fingernails, after they've cooled, dab the tip with a bit of cream cheese and stick the bell pepper on. You may want to dry the pepper off with a paper towel so it will adhere better.
• Arrange on a plate or in mini mason jars filled with marinara or pizza sauce. Bloooody!
• Almond-tipped fingers keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Because of the cream cheese and cut pepper, I recommend storing that version in the refrigerator.

WITCHY-POO FINGERS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, beat butter sugar, egg and extracts together.
• In another mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
• Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture, then cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F; have cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper, ready.
• Remove only 1/4 of the dough from refrigerator (leave rest refrigerated to stay cold); measure out heaping teaspoonfuls and shape into fingers.
• Press an almond firmly into the end of each"finger" to make the fingernail.
• Below the almond and at the opposite end of the finger, press in dough to create knuckle halfway down; using the back of a table knife, make indents into the knuckle (look at your own fingers to get an idea of what this should look like).
• If you want really big ugly fingers with two gnarled knuckles, use about a tbsp of dough per cookie.
• Place on paper-lined cookie sheets and bake in preheated oven until a pale golden colour--about 20 to 25 minutes.
• After first sheet goes into the oven, remove more dough from the fridge to make more fingers.
• When cookies are done, remove from oven and let cool for three minutes.
• Carefully lift up almond from each finger and squeeze some red decorating gel onto nail bed, then press almond back into place; the red gel will creepily ooze out.
• Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.