Witch Finger Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 60 whole blanched almonds

Steps

1. 1

   1. Beat butter and powdered sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then mix in the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract until fully combined.

2. 2

   2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl, then gradually stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture until a firm dough forms.

3. 3

   3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until chilled and easy to handle.

4. 4

   4. Pinch off tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll each between your palms into a thin, uneven log roughly 3 inches long, pinching and twisting slightly to create knobby, gnarled knuckle shapes, then press a whole almond firmly into one end of each cookie.

5. 5

   5. Arrange the shaped cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake at 325°F (160°C) for 20–24 minutes until deeply golden brown.

6. 6

   6. Let the cookies cool completely on the pan, then dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.