Halloween Severed Finger Cookies

I've been making these cookies every year for Halloween for the past 5 or 6 years now and I still think they are sooo cool! The nasty, busted, discoloured finger nails are the best part if you ask me!   I got this recipe from my mom years ago and I think she got if from a friend but beyond that.......I have no idea.  there are however many versions of this cookie floating around on the Internet but but I find none (I've tried 3 or 4 others) look quite as gruesome or hold their shape as well as these......not even the Martha Stewart version compares to these (gasp I can't believe I just said that, but it's true)

I made these guys in the photo's really quick before work yesterday which is why my piping gel isn't really mixed so well and they don't look as awesome as they could, but I still wanted to share......these are after all one of my favorite Halloween traditions.  I love the look on peoples faces when I hand them a little treat box all nicely tied with ribbon they open it up and peel back the tissue paper to find 2 or 3 severed fingers, fake blood and all!

What you need:
1 cup butter softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
50-60 almond slices (not too cracked or chipped)
1/2 cup piping gel (you can get a small container of this at bulk barn or a place like Michael's)
red food colouring paste
black food colouring paste

Here's what you do:
1.  In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla.  combine the flour and salt; stir into the sugar mixture.   Cover dough and chill for at least 1 hour.

2.  Roll out logs of dough approximately 1/2 inch thick and 3-4 inches long.....variety is okay but keep them relatively the size of your fingers.

3.  put as many as you can onto cookie sheets and pop them into the freezer or about 15 minutes.

                                   

4.  Working in batches pinch one end of a log to form a tapered end for the finger tip.  pinch two more times, not as much as the finger tip, to form the middle and bottom knuckle.

5.  Nest use a butter knife to score the knuckles, 3 lines by the finger tip, 3 on the main knuckle and and 2 at the "cut" end.  when scoring the knuckles with three lines try to curve the two outside score marks a little.

6.  Insert and almond slice into the finger tip so a little of the almond is inserted into the cookie dough, and pressing down a bit to flatten it out like a finger nail.  be careful not to apply too much pressure or the almond will break.

7.  put your finished fingers on cookie sheets spaced 1 inch apart (if you follow this recipe the dough won't spread)  and pop them back into the freezer for another 15 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F 

8.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden at the edges.  remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

                                       

9.  Put your piping gel into a small bowl and colour with the red and black food colours......only a hint of black......you can always add, but you can't take away......as can be seen in the photo's of the cookies I made this year, some of them have way too much black.  When cool, dip the "cut" end of your finger into the piping gel.  or if you would prefer you can paint it on using a small bakers brush.  Also if you like you can add some of the icing blood up around the finger nail area.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!