Halloween Shortbread Poppy Seed Cookie Fingers Recipes

LEMON POPPY SEED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Cream confectioners' sugar and butter together until fluffy.
• Stir in poppy seeds and lemon juice.
• Gradually add flour and mix well.
• Divide dough into 4 equal portions and roll each into a 4 inch circle on a lightly-floured surface.
• Transfer each dough portion to an ungreased cookie sheet; cut each circle into 6 wedges.
• Prick each wedge several times with a fork and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden.
• Cool for 4-5 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
• When cool, break each circle apart into wedges.

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.

FRIGHTENING FINGERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Divide dough into fourths. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle., Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll into 1-in. balls. Shape balls into 3x1/2-in. fingers. Using the flat tip of a table knife, make an indentation on 1 end of each for fingernail. With a knife, make 3 slashes in the middle of each finger for knuckle., Place 2 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° until lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes. Squeeze a small amount of red gel on nail bed; press a sliced almond over gel for nail, allowing gel to ooze around nail. Remove to wire racks to cool.