Witches Shortbread Fingers – Crafty October Day 22
Home » HOLIDAYS & EVENTS » HALLOWEEN »It’s happened again… year after year I mean to make these witches shortbread fingers, and every year I either a) forget, or b) run out of time. Now I know that Halloween is still just under two weeks away, but with us going on holiday for Halloween, I’ve run out of time… Dr. Oetker sent the ingredients to make these, so I will just have to do it when I come home and tell y’all about it then! I mean, it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve thrown a Halloween party after Halloween! In the meantime here is the recipe so that you can make them for your Halloween party!
- 115 g Lightly Salted Butter (4 oz), softened
- 65 g Caster Sugar (2 1/2 oz)
- 5 ml Dr. Oetker Caramel Flavour (1 tsp)
- 165 g Plain Flour (5 1/2 oz)
- 40 g Cornflour (1 1/2 oz)
- Dr. Oetker Free Range Egg White Powder Sachet x 1 (5g)
- 25 g Blanched Almonds (Approx 18 blanched almonds)
- Dr. Oetker Bright Red Gel Food Colour
- Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and well blended. Beat in the Caramel Flavour.
- Sift the flour and cornflour on top and stir into the creamed mixture, then bring the mixture together with your hands to form a firm dough. Turn on to a lightly floured work surface and knead gently until smooth.
- Cut the dough in half and divide each half into 9 portions. Working on one portion at a time, roll the shortbread gently, back and forth on the work surface to form a skinny finger shape approx. 10cm (4inches) long.
- Pinch the dough in 2 places to make the bony joints and then score with a knife to make the wrinkles. Place on the baking tray whilst you work on the remaining pieces. Keep the fingers spaced a little apart on the tray. You can make the fingers different lengths and shape them with a bend to make “crooked” fingers. As a rule, the thinner you roll the shortbread mixture, the less it spreads during cooking.
- Make up the Egg White Powder as directed and whisk until slightly frothy. Brush over the top of each finger. Gently press an almond into the top of each finger to resemble fingernails. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Ten minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 180˚C (160˚C fan assisted oven, 350˚F, gas mark 4). Brush the rest of the fingers with Egg White, leaving the almond unbrushed.
- Squeeze a few drops of Red Food Colour Gel into a small dish and using a paint brush, carefully paint it over the almonds. Bake for about 20 minutes until very lightly golden. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Your real shortbread fingers are now ready to serve and spook your friends!
Crafty October is a month long series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog, where I share an idea a day for Halloween + Autumn. All ideas for Crafty October 2015 are here. And if you are a blogger and would like to share your ideas, check out the Crafty October 2015 Blogger Linky which is running until 31st October 2015.