Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes - Ready in 1 hr 15 minutes
Yield: 60 cookies
By: Sandra
"This is a traditional Christmas cookie recipe that we have had in our family for years. All I did was change the shape to make them look like fingers for our annual Halloween party. The cookies make a great conversation piece. My guests loved them!"
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup whole almonds
- 1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel
Directions:
- 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.