These Halloween Finger Cookies with almond nails are easy to make and a spooky Halloween cookie recipe - An eggless shortbread cookie!
What are witch fingers cookies?
Witch Finger Cookies are the ultimate Halloween cookie! A simple shortbread cookie dough is shaped into realistic “witch fingers” complete with knuckle details and almond nails, making them both look spooky.
Made with buttery eggless shortbread dough, these biscuits are shaped by hand into finger-like shapes, and topped with an almond (“fingernail”) secured with melted chocolate. They’re fun to make for Halloween—especially with kids.
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Ingredients you'll need to make spooky fingers
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Butter – Use room-temperature unsalted butter for proper creaming with sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour – Regular all-purpose flour gives structure and ensures your Halloween biscuits have just the right texture.
- Confectioners' Sugar – Powdered sugar contains cornstarch, which helps shortbread get a melt-in-your-mouth texture with an ultra-tender crumb.
- Sliced Almonds – These act as a realistic “nail” on the fingers, adding texture and a mildly nutty crunch.
- Chocolate Chips – Melted dark chocolate is perfect for adhering almond “nails” securely in place;
Halloween Finger Cookies
These Halloween Finger Cookies with almond nails are easy to make and a spooky Halloween cookie recipe - An eggless shortbread cookie!
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 to 4 teaspoons milk
Icing
- 3 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips
- 20 sliced almonds
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 to 4 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Make Cookie dough
1. Add butter, confectioners sugar (½ cup + 2 tablespoons), vanilla extract and salt into a medium bowl and beat with hand held electric beater for a minute, until smooth and creamy.(Alternatively, mix by hand using a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes)
2. Add flour and about 2 teaspoons of milk, mix with a spoon, until the dough comes together.
You want the dough to be slightly firm but not soft. So, adjust the milk accordingly.
Tip: Firm dough will result in hard biscuits, whereas very soft dough will spread when baking.
Shape Cookies
1. Working with about slightly heaped 1 tablespoon measure dough, shape it into a 3-inch log, rolling it between your fingers to give a more authentic finger shape - refer video / step-by-step photos.
2. Shape one end of the log to get a slightly pointed, flat end to make a nail bed.
3. Using a butter knife, press on 2 to 3 parts of the shaped finger to get the creases on the knuckles or "palmar flexion creases".
4. Repeat process to make remaining cookies and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about an inch apart.
5. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firm up.
Bake Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Bake cookies for 20 to 23 minutes (rotate pan halfway through baking) or until golden brown.
3. Place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make nails
1. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 to 50 seconds (stirring every 20 seconds), transfer to a small zip lock bag and snip off one corner.
2. Squeeze a little melted chocolate on the tip of each finger and place a sliced almond on top, pressing lightly to help it stick.
3. Repeat process for remaining cookies. Leave aside for an hour or two for the chocolate to harden.
Make icing and decorate
1. Mix confectioners sugar and enough milk to a thick icing. Transfer to a small zip lock bag and snip off one corner.
2. Draw lines to represent mummy on each fingers and let sit for a few hours to set.
Store decorated cookies in a covered container for up to a week.
Notes
Chill Cookie dough – We recommend chilling shaped cookie dough overnight, which gives ample time for the dough to firm up before baking.
Cookie dough – The dough should be slightly firm but not soft. So adjust milk accordingly.
Very firm dough – Will result in hard cookies
Soft dough – Will result in cookies spreading a little while baking <—- finger shape might not be as perfect!
Don’t shape smooth cookies – Few cracks, uneven surfaces with a few dents are perfect in making a creepy Halloween cookie.
Storage instructions
Decorated cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.
Baked and Cooled cookies without icing can be frozen for one to two months. Bring to room temperature before icing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 123Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 12gSugar: 11gProtein: 20g
I am not a certified dietician or nutritionist. The information is a product of online calculator such as Nutrifox.com, although Kitchen at Hoskins attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their fact algorithms. Under no circumstances will Kitchen at Hoskins be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the nutritional information. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health and ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate.
How to make finger cookies for Halloween (step-by-step photos)?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
1.Add butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla extract and salt into a medium bowl.
2. Beat with hand held electric beater or using a wooden spoon, until smooth and creamy.
3 & 4. Add flour and about 2 teaspoons of milk, mix with a spoon, until the dough comes together. You want the dough to be slightly firm but not soft. So, adjust the milk accordingly.
Tip: Firm dough will result in hard biscuits, whereas very soft dough will spread when baking.
5 & 6. Working with about slightly heaped 1 tablespoon measure dough, shape it into a 3-inch log, rolling it between your fingers to give a more authentic finger shape.
7. Shape one end of the log to get a slightly pointed, flat end to make a nail bed.
8. Using a butter knife, press on 2 to 3 parts of the shaped finger to get the creases on the knuckles or "palmar flexion creases".
Repeat process to make remaining biscuits and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about an inch apart. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firm up.
Bake witch fingers at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden in color and let cool completely.
9 & 10. Almond nails - Melt chocolate chips in the microwave and transfer to a small zip lock bag. Squeeze a little melted chocolate on the tip of each finger and place a sliced almond on top, pressing lightly to help it stick.
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11. Mix confectioners sugar and enough milk to a thick icing. Transfer to a small zip lock bag and draw lines to represent mummy on each fingers and let sit for a few hours to set.
Make ahead
Halloween finger cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.
If you'd like to store them for a longer period, then freeze the baked biscuits (without any chocolate or icing) for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and then decorate.
Recipe tips
- Chill dough – I recommend chilling shaped shortbread dough for several hours, which gives ample time for the dough to firm up before baking.
- Don’t make them smooth – Few cracks, uneven surfaces with a few dents are perfect in making a creepy Halloween finger cookies.
More Cookie Recipes for Halloween
- Spooky Halloween tree cookies are buttery, nutty, crisp, amazingly tender and made using only a round cookie cutter.
- Candle cookies are made using buttery, crisp chocolate shortbread dough and are shockingly easy to make.
- Skull cookies are buttery, filled with raspberry jam, and then adorned with an M&M flower. Skip the spookiness and make an adorable cookie this Halloween season.
- Halloween bone cookies are made without cookie cutters! It is an easy, unique cookie to make from scratch and is a fun baking project for kids to make and safe for humans.
- These chocolate thumbprint cookies are made with a simple sugar cookie dough, indented to resemble skulls and filled with red strawberry jam! It is a unique, fun, creative, spooky cookie idea for Halloween!
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