Witchs Fingers Recipes

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Put the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking until the butter and sugar melts. Remove pan from the heat and sift the flour into the pan. Stir the dough together with a wooden spoon. Return to the heat and stir constantly until pulls away from the sides of the pan and is slightly shiny, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a medium bowl, and beat until cooled, about 2 minutes. Add the cayenne, and whole eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each 1 thoroughly before adding the next. Mix in the mustard and cheese.
• Put 1/4-inch plain tip in a pastry bag, and spoon the dough into the bag. Pipe 3 1/2-inch long thin finger-like shapes onto prepared pans. Beat the egg yolk with a tablespoon of water and dab or brush the tops of each witches' finger with it. Lay an almond on the end of each witches finger so that it looks like a nail, sprinkle fingers with kosher salt.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking until the fingers are golden brown and slightly crisp, about 5 minutes more. Cool on a rack.

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray or line with a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until a dough forms.
• Using about1 1/2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough between your palms into 5-inch-long fingers about 1/2-inch thick. Firmly press a sliced almond into the end of each finger to make fingernails. Make several horizontal cuts, about 1/4 inch deep and 1/2 inch long, in the center of each finger to make knuckles. Press the dough on either side of the cuts to shape the knuckles. Arrange the fingers on the prepared baking sheet and bake until light golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer the fingers to a wire rack and cool completely.
• In a small saucepan, heat the jam over low heat until warm, about 2 minutes. Dip the blunt ends of the fingers in the warm jam and arrange on a platter.

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.

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, beat butter sugar, egg and extracts together.
• In another mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
• Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture, then cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F; have cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper, ready.
• Remove only 1/4 of the dough from refrigerator (leave rest refrigerated to stay cold); measure out heaping teaspoonfuls and shape into fingers.
• Press an almond firmly into the end of each"finger" to make the fingernail.
• Below the almond and at the opposite end of the finger, press in dough to create knuckle halfway down; using the back of a table knife, make indents into the knuckle (look at your own fingers to get an idea of what this should look like).
• If you want really big ugly fingers with two gnarled knuckles, use about a tbsp of dough per cookie.
• Place on paper-lined cookie sheets and bake in preheated oven until a pale golden colour--about 20 to 25 minutes.
• After first sheet goes into the oven, remove more dough from the fridge to make more fingers.
• When cookies are done, remove from oven and let cool for three minutes.
• Carefully lift up almond from each finger and squeeze some red decorating gel onto nail bed, then press almond back into place; the red gel will creepily ooze out.
• Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 325ºF.
• RESERVE 36 nuts for later use; process remaining nuts in food processor until finely ground. Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, extract and salt in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in ground nuts. (Dough will be stiff.).
• ROLL dough into 36 (3-inch) "fingers," using 1 tablespoons dough for each. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray. Press 1 of the reserved nuts into dough in 1 end of each finger for the fingernail. Use sharp knife to make 3 crosswise slits in top of each finger for the knuckles.
• BAKE 15 to 20 minute or until lightly browned. Cool 3 minute on baking sheet; carefully transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325ºF.
• Reserve 40 nuts for later use; process remaining nuts in food processor until finely ground. Beat next 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in ground nuts. (Dough will be stiff.)
• Roll dough into 40 (3-inch) "fingers," using 1 Tbsp. dough for each. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray. Press 1 reserved nut into end of each dough finger for the fingernail. Use sharp knife to make 3 crosswise slits in top of each finger for the knuckles.
• Bake 15 to 20 min. or until lightly browned. Cool 3 min. on baking sheet; carefully transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.

Steps:

• For dough:
• Stir together water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until sugar is dissolved; let stand until yeast bubbles, about 5 minutes.
• Beat in 1 cup of flour on low speed until combined.
• Clean dough from paddle, then attach dough hook. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 2 1/2 cups flour to mixture and beat until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 3 minutes. (If dough is too sticky, add enough of 1/2 cup remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is no longer sticky.)
• Oil a large bowl and transfer dough to bowl, then turn dough over to coat it with oil. Cover bowl with a dry towel, then let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until it is double in size, about 1 hour.
• For fingers:
• While dough is rising, place green food coloring in a small bowl, and using a paintbrush, paint one side of the almond slices or the rounded side of the peanut halves.
• Heat oven to 450°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Divide dough into quarters. Work with 1 piece at a time, and keep remaining dough covered.
• Roll one quarter into a 12-inch log, then cut it into 12 (1-inch) pieces.
• Dust work surface with additional flour, if necessary, to facilitate rolling. Roll and stretch each piece into a craggy 5-inch "finger." Transfer fingers to baking sheets and let stand at warm room temperature, loosely covered with a smooth kitchen towel, until fingers are slightly puffed, 15 minutes.
• Pinch top of fingers to look like knuckles, then lightly score each knuckle with a sharp knife.
• Brush fingers with egg wash, then press on nails. With cleaned paintbrush, dab a little red color around the cuticles. Sprinkle fingers all over with pretzel or coarse sea salt.
• Bake fingers until deep golden, about 15 minutes (form more fingers while first batch is baking). Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Repeat forming and baking in batches with remaining dough.
• For dip:
• Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, and maple syrup until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.