Witch Finger Cookies

Yeah, yeah, I know...Nanette doesn't do Halloween. Blame it on being a senior in an Adult Community...reliving my childhood. I posted a recipe for Green Monster Cookies a few days ago because I was bringing treats to the Divas Halloween Party. Friday night was the Community Halloween Party and I was asked to bake Crooked Witch Fingers. At first, I thought it was for the dessert table, but found out they were props for the Haunted House. The Victoria Gardens Haunted House is one of the best I've ever experienced. Kudos to Shari who spends hours researching, building, directing to make this a yearly success. Yes, she has lots of help and dozens of volunteer horror characters, but she is the force behind the whole event. Girl Power. My contribution to this year's Haunted House were the Witch Fingers. I didn't actually see the ghoul chomping on them because I was too busy screaming and covering my eyes!

Back to the cookie....The dough is a bit finicky. Once the ingredients are combined, you must refrigerate it. I made the dough, wrapped it in plastic wrap and chilled for most of the day, baking the fingers in the evening. Cut off a chunk, then rewrap and put in the freezer as you shape the fingers. Once in the oven, rotate the trays after 10 minutes. Don't let the fingers get too brown. The recipe should yield 60 but I got 55 out of it.

Witch Fingers
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
55-60 whole almonds
1 (.75oz) tube red decorating gel

Combine flour, baking powder, & salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Combine butter, sugar, egg, almond & vanilla extracts in a mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer and gradually add the dry ingredients as you continue to blend. Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.  
Set oven temperature to 325 degrees.
Remove a small amount of dough from the dough ball. Replace remaining dough in refrigerator or freezer. Roll dough into thin rope shapes. Press almond into the tip. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each finger to give the impression of knuckles.  Make slashes into the dough at knuckles. Arrange on lightly greased cookie sheets. Put cookie sheet in refrigerator for ten minutes to help retain shape when baking. Bake 20-25 minutes, rotating at ten minutes. Before fingers cool completely, remove the almond from end of finger and squeeze a small amount of red gel into cavity. Replace the almond to ooze gel out around the tip. Add red gel anywhere on finger for a "bloodier" look, if desired. 
originally found on allrecipes.com under Spooky Witches' Fingers

Remember To Make Memories At The Table

Hubby & Me as a Bumble Bee & Beekeeper

Green Monster Cookies

 

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not a big fan of Halloween. In the autumn I look forward to Thanksgiving. Lots of good food rather than sweets and a reason to give thanks for all the blessings of the year...especially Our Bounty! Yet, anyone who knows me knows I love to cook and bake, so any excuse, even Halloween is a fitting excuse.

Recently, I became interested in Pinterest. I tried to hold out and ignore joining, but a site with tons of tried recipes, fun crafts and fashion...well I'm a sucker for. So, I've given in. And I love it!! I have to time myself so I don't spend hours on this fabulous site.

I found this recipe on Pinterest under the title: Ooey Gooey Monster Eye Cookies. The only change was from vanilla extract to a teaspoon of almond extract. I wanted more of a flavor to the cookie. It is ooey gooey and sweet. I tasted the cream cheese batter and it wasn't sweet (enough) but I restrained from adding sugar and glad I did. Once the chilled batter is rolled in the powdered sugar...the cookie is sweet enough. Do put the batter in the fridge like the recipe calls for, even put it back between baking batches. My cookies took 14 minutes to bake not the suggested 10-12. So check on that. Also, the eyes can be found in most department stores like WalMart, or Craft Centers with a baking dept., the brand is Wilton. I used 2 packages. The original color is neon green, but I used regular green food coloring. It's an easy recipe. Kids will enjoy baking this, too. Original recipe found at: lilluna.com/gooey-monster-eye-cookies/

So why is a senior with no grandkids (yet) baking monster face cookies?  Well...my community has a Divas club...yes, Divas. It's really an excuse to get together with a group of fabulous women and well....coffee klatch. We have a wonderful Women's Club which works hard for local charities...very worth while. But Divas is just plain old fun. Two women host the monthly "meeting". They come up with a theme...there's snacks and lots of laughter. The theme could be Hollywood, Mother's Tribute, Snowpersons, Valentine's, etc. Sometimes there's a demonstration of a particular craft, or a trivia game, stuff like that. We wear pink, yeah a girlie color, but there's a strong sense of community, womanhood and camaraderie. It's good for the body as well as the soul. The October meeting email read: "Wear your Witches Hat! And bring a spooky story to read aloud. Refreshments will be served." So I will attend in a Good Witches Hat and wearing white, of course...oh, and a pink boa. I'll arrive with a scary story to read and....green monster cookies. It will be a Boo-tiful Divas Gathering.

Green Monster Cookies

1 box Yellow Cake Mix
1 stick butter, softened
1 8oz bar cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
powdered sugar
green food coloring
candy eyes (bloodshot eyes more spooky)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, almond extract, egg and cream cheese until fluffy. Mix in cake mix. Add green food coloring a drop at a time until you get the desired hue. Chill for 30 minutes. Roll a teaspoon full of batter into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 12-14 minutes. While warm press a candy eye into center of each cookie. Makes approx.4 doz.

Remember To Make Memories At The Table