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Best Spooky Witch Finger Cookies – Easy Halloween Treat

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These spooky witch finger cookies are almond-flavored shortbread cookies shaped like long, knobby witch fingers, complete with a sliced almond fingernail and a dab of red jam at the base. They look disgusting in the best possible way — and they taste like buttery, slightly sweet, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that disappear faster than anything else on the dessert table.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • About 30 whole blanched almonds
  • ¼ cup (60ml) red jam or jelly (strawberry, raspberry, or cherry)
  • Optional: Red food coloring

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup (226g) softened unsalted butter with 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
  2. Add 1 large room-temperature egg, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully combined, about 30 seconds.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed. Add the flour in three additions, mixing just until combined after each. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
  5. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Working with one disk of dough at a time (keep the other refrigerated), pinch off a piece of dough slightly larger than a walnut — about 1 ½ tablespoons. Roll it between your palms into a log about 3 inches long and ¾ inch thick, tapering one end slightly to look like a fingertip. Place the shaped finger on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the fingers about 2 inches apart.
  8. Using a small offset spatula or the back of a butter knife, gently press horizontal lines across each finger to create knuckles — one line near the middle, one near the top. Use the tip of the knife to make tiny wrinkles around each knuckle. Press the tip of the knife into the fingertip end to create a slight indentation where the nail will go.
  9. Press one whole blanched almond firmly into the indentation at the fingertip end of each cookie. The almond should be positioned with the pointed end facing away from the finger.
  10. Bake the cookies at 325°F (163°C) for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden. Bake one sheet at a time for even results.
  11. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. While the cookies are still warm, use a small spoon or pastry brush to dab a small amount of red jam at the cut end of each finger (the end opposite the almond nail). Let the cookies cool completely before serving.

Notes

Don’t overbake; cookies should be pale and tender. Chill the shaped fingers for 10-15 minutes before baking for better shape retention. Use your hands to shape for more realistic fingers. Press knuckle indentations deeper than you think needed as they puff up during baking. Double-check almond nails before baking to prevent them from falling off.

Nutrition

Keywords: witch finger cookies, Halloween cookies, spooky cookies, almond shortbread, Halloween treats, easy Halloween cookies

Find it online: https://twirltaste.com/best-spooky-witch-finger-cookies-easy-halloween-treat/