Halloween Shortbread Poppy Seed Cookie Fingers Recipes

SPOOKY WITCHES' FINGERS

Steps:

• 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.

LEMON POPPY SEED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Cream confectioners' sugar and butter together until fluffy.
• Stir in poppy seeds and lemon juice.
• Gradually add flour and mix well.
• Divide dough into 4 equal portions and roll each into a 4 inch circle on a lightly-floured surface.
• Transfer each dough portion to an ungreased cookie sheet; cut each circle into 6 wedges.
• Prick each wedge several times with a fork and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden.
• Cool for 4-5 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
• When cool, break each circle apart into wedges.

HALLOWEEN FINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Beat butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until fluffy. Blend in vanilla extract and salt. Mix in flour and ground pecans. Shape about 1 tablespoon of dough into a finger, about 3 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Repeat with remaining dough to form about 50 fingers total.
• Place fingers 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet; they will expand a little while baking. Stick an almond 'nail' onto the end of each finger. Lightly score some 'knuckles' into the centers using a knife.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set and very lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

FRIGHTENING FINGERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Divide dough into fourths. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle., Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll into 1-in. balls. Shape balls into 3x1/2-in. fingers. Using the flat tip of a table knife, make an indentation on 1 end of each for fingernail. With a knife, make 3 slashes in the middle of each finger for knuckle., Place 2 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° until lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes. Squeeze a small amount of red gel on nail bed; press a sliced almond over gel for nail, allowing gel to ooze around nail. Remove to wire racks to cool.

POPPY SEED SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Combine flour, butter, confectioners' sugar, poppy seeds, vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. Dough will be dry and crumbly.
• Press dough into a 11x7-inch baking pan. Pierce entire surface with a fork to prevent the dough from rising during baking.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges start to turn slightly brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove shortbread from pan and cut into 12 equal-sized bars while still warm. Place on a wire rack to cool.

POPPY SEED COOKIES II

Steps:

• Combine the butter, sugar, egg yolks, lemon or orange zest, nutmeg and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
• Sift the flour, then add it and the poppy seeds to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Form each piece into a 2 inch diameter cylinder and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. At this point you can freeze the dough for later use.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut dough cylinders into 1/4 inch thick slices and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 9 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool. Once cool, store in an airtight container.