Severed Finger Cookies (Almond Shortbread)

Severed Finger Cookies (Almond Shortbread)

(I talked about this recipe here)

1 cup light butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole almonds, blanched
1 tube red decorator gel

Preheat oven to 325.
In bowl, beat together butter, powdered sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla.
Beat in flour and salt.
Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Working with small amounts of dough at a time and keeping the rest refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoons of dough into finger shapes (if you make them bigger than a heaping teaspoon, they will be too bug and puffy after baking).
Press one almond firmly into 1 end of each finger for fingernail. Squeeze in the center to make a finger shape.
Using a paring knife, make slashes to form knuckles.
Bake on cookie sheets coated with cooking spray at 325 for 20 minutes.
Lift up almonds, squeeze decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back into place, so gel oozes out from underneath.

makes 36 fingers, 2 HUs per cookie.
source: Britta Boulevard - Halloween recipes - www.britta.com