Description
These Witch Finger Cookies are delightfully spooky and perfect for Halloween! Made with a buttery pistachio and almond shortbread dough tinted green, shaped meticulously to resemble creepy fingers with knuckles and warts, and topped with slivered almonds as nails and a dab of sweet cherry jam as oozing blood, these cookies combine festive fun with delicious flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 1/4 cups (145 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 to 6 drops green food coloring
- 2 3/4 cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios (about 70 g), plus more for decorating
Toppings and Decorations
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds (about 85 g)
- 1/2 cup (135 g) cherry, strawberry, or raspberry jam
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer in a large bowl), beat the confectioners’ sugar and softened butter on medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and continue beating until fully incorporated and fluffy, roughly 1 minute more. Mix in the almond extract, vanilla extract, and green food coloring, beating until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine: In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and kosher salt. Slowly add this flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Gently fold in the finely chopped pistachios. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days to firm up.
- Shape the Fingers: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove a quarter of the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 12 to 13 one-tablespoon balls. Roll each ball between your palms to form a finger shape approximately 3 inches long and 1/2 inch thick—like the length of your pinky finger but slightly thinner. Place these logs on the prepared baking sheets. Press a sliced almond at one end of each log to resemble a fingernail. Create knuckle indentations by carefully pinching the dough just below the almond and halfway down the finger. Use a sharp knife to carve horizontal lines of varying lengths along the knuckles. Add 1 or 2 pistachio pieces to the fingers to mimic warts. Repeat these steps with the remaining dough. Freeze the shaped cookies on the baking sheets for 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through to ensure even baking. The edges should be firm, and the tops dry when done. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the sheets.
- Decorate with Jam: Carefully lift off each almond fingernail. Dab a small amount of jam onto the tip of each finger, then replace the almond to secure it, pressing slightly to let the jam ooze out for a bloody effect. Spread some jam on the bottom of each finger as well. Let the cookies cool completely before serving.
Notes
- These cookies combine pistachio and almond shortbread with cherry jam for a deliciously spooky treat perfect for Halloween.
- Freezing the shaped cookies before baking helps them retain their detailed finger shapes and prevents spreading.
- You can customize the jam flavor to your preference—cherry, strawberry, or raspberry all work well.
- Handle the almond fingernails gently to avoid breakage when removing and replacing them with jam.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 95
- Sugar: 4.4 g
- Sodium: 41 mg
- Fat: 5.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0.56 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 13 mg
