Witch Finger Cookies
Instructions
To prepare the witch finger cookies, proceed in this way: in a large bowl put the flour, the diced cold butter, the egg, the powdered sugar, the vanilla powder, the salt and the baking powder (1); knead the ingredients in the bowl (2) and form a ball, then go on kneading the dough on a pastry board until smooth and even (3).
Once you have the cookie dough ready, shape it into a roll (4) and divide it into small pieces weighing less than 1 oz (25 g) each, until you obtain about 20 pieces (5). Then shape each piece with the palms of the hands into a stick about 4-4,5 inches (10-12 cm) long (6).
Create the knuckles of the fingers by tightening the dough just before and after them; then draw a few short lines with a smooth blade knife (7). Put a peeled almond on the tip of the fingers (8-9) and press it slightly: it will serve as a nail. Place the witch's fingers on a baking pan lined with parchment paper, leaving a space of about 1 inch (3 cm) between them. Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 350F (180) for about 20 minutes, after that take them out of the oven and let them cool down. Once cold, you will surely notice that some almond tends to come off from the tip of the cookies: to make them stick well, dip the part below the almond into the jam and put it again in its place. Once dried out, the witch's fingers are ready to be tasted!
