Halloween is coming, y'all! I know it's a little bit early, but I can't hold it in any more!
I'm always excited for Halloween to roll around, but this year even more so. I was a little too late in testing out these cookies last year to have them here in time for Halloween, but this year... I made good and sure they were the first Halloween treat to make the list!
These cookies are soft, sweet and perfectly delicate. Plus, they're super cute and festive for any Halloween gathering.
I lightened these little bits up by swapping in a lightened butter and substituting some of the powdered sugar for natural sweetener. All in all it's really not too far off from the original version, just a few minor upgrades to give a more guilt free rendition.
I will say that while these are lightened up, they still do have their fair share of sugar in them. That's because I haven't quite found the right solution when it comes to replacing powdered sugar for a more wholesome swap. And honestly, there isn't much to these cookies other than flour, sugar, and butter. So, while I've done my best here, you should definitely still proceed with caution on noshing on the entire batch.
I served my Witch Finger Cookies with another tasty treat; Red Velvet Hot Chocolate. It made for the perfect spooky dipper for these fun fingers. Please, I mean... red velvet anything gets an A+ in my book, especially when it's lightened up.
These are definitely delicate cookies. If you plan to travel with them, you will want to put them in a firm sealed container. If any of the almond nails come off, feel free to use melted chocolate to re-secure them into place.
Witch Finger Cookies
TheSkinnyFork.com
The Skinny:
Servings: 48 • Size: 1 Cookie • Calories: 93 • Fat: 4 g • Saturated Fat: 2 g • Carb: 12 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 2 g • Sugar: 4 g • Sodium: 52 mg
Ingredients:
8 Oz. Light Butter
1 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
1/2 C. Natural Sweetener
1 Whole Large Egg
2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp. Almond Extract
3 3/4 C. All-Purpose Flour
3/4 C. Almond Meal/Flour
1 Tsp. Salt
48 Sliced Almonds
Directions:
Place the 8 Oz. Light Butter and 2 C. Powdered Sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat them together on medium-low for about a minute.
Add in the 1 Whole Large Egg, 2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract, and 1 1/2 Tsp. Almond Extract and continue to beat the mixture together at a medium-low speed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the 3 3/4 C. All-Purpose Flour and 3/4 C. Almond Meal.
Reduce the speed in the stand mixer to low and carefully add the flour to the dough mixture, and mix just until combined.
Remove the dough from the mixer and place it on a large piece of plastic wrap; wrap it up and place it in the fridge for at least an hour.
Pro Tip: The dough can be made several days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.
Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. F. and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Using a 1 Tbsp. measuring spoon, scoop out some of the chilled dough and press it into the spoon to get a packed 1 Tbsp.
Form a finger out of the 1 Tbsp. of dough being mindful that it tends to be a crumbly batter.
Use a tooth pick to create the knuckle points and press 1 sliver of almond onto the fingertip to create the witches' nail.
Repeat for all of the remaining dough until all of your cookies are formed and lined on the prepared baking sheets.
Place the baking sheets into the oven for about 10-15 minutes.
These won't get much color to them except for maybe on the bottoms or edges.
Once done, remove the pans form the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets.
As they cool the cookies with firm up.
Enjoy!
Nutritional Claims: Low Sodium, Low Potassium, Kidney Friendly, Pescatarian, Peanut Free, Soy Free, Fish Free, Shellfish Free, Pork Free, Red Meat Free, Crustacean Free, Celery Free, Mustard Free, Sesame Free, Lupine Free, Mollusk Free, Alcohol Free
