Autumn Pumpkin Witches Cookies Recipes

WITCH FINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray or line with a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until a dough forms.
• Using about1 1/2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough between your palms into 5-inch-long fingers about 1/2-inch thick. Firmly press a sliced almond into the end of each finger to make fingernails. Make several horizontal cuts, about 1/4 inch deep and 1/2 inch long, in the center of each finger to make knuckles. Press the dough on either side of the cuts to shape the knuckles. Arrange the fingers on the prepared baking sheet and bake until light golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer the fingers to a wire rack and cool completely.
• In a small saucepan, heat the jam over low heat until warm, about 2 minutes. Dip the blunt ends of the fingers in the warm jam and arrange on a platter.

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.

AUTUMN PUMPKIN-WITCHES COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray baking sheet or line it with parchment.
• In large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg.
• In separate bowl, sift flour; add ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
• Add in pumpkin mixture, blending well; add in pumpkin seeds.
• Drop small scoops of dough (approx. 1 1/8 inches) on to sheet, approx 2" apart.
• With wet fingers, swirl each mixture into wider, flat disk-like shape.
• Bake about 8 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool.
• While cooling, make filling. You may use mixer or mix by hand.
• Mix sugar, butter, pumpkin, and vanilla. Whip it until spreadable.
• With about 1 tablespoon of filling, sandwich cooled cookies together.