How To Make Witch’s Fingers Cookies

This weekend I was able to make some fun Halloween themed cookies.  The request:  Green Witch’s Fingers!

I chose a cookie dough that wouldn’t spread too much and hold it’s shape.  My favorite sugar cookie dough for cookie cutters and holding shapes is a recipe I found on Cake Central.   It makes a lot of cookie dough, so you can freeze what you don’t use (wrap well in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag) or easily halve the recipe.

Since this witch is green – I picture the one from Wizard of Oz – I added some green food coloring before the dough finished mixing.  I kneaded the dough just a little more once I dumped it out of the mixer to make sure the color was well incorporated.

When using this dough to cut out shapes, it needs to be chilled.  Since I was rolling the dough out into ropes, I just went right to work since it was nice and pliable.

The first batch I did, I rolled the ropes a half inch thick, and they made some fat fingers.  The second batch, I cut back the diameter a bit and made them 3/8 inch thick.  That size looked more finger-like, just not as much cookie to eat…so it’s a trade off.

Once you have a rope rolled out to the thickness you prefer, cut them 3 3/4 inches long.  I know this sounds exact, but it’s what looked best to me.  Do what seems best for you…there’s no right or wrong here!

With a knife, press/cut shallow lines for the knuckles on the fingers.

For the fingernail, press a sliced almond on one end rounding the dough beneath it to look like a finger tip.

Bake on an un-greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8 minutes for the 1/2 inch diameter cookies, and 7 minutes for the 3/8 inch diameter cookies.

When  you take them out of the oven, let them rest on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.  If you try to move them too soon, they’ll fall apart!

My kids thought these were so neat.  Katie said they were “spooky!”

Have some at your Halloween party!  Happy baking!