MEMORIES from 2016: My Halloween Cookies, Eat Your Creepy Ladies Fingers Out!

This is one time of the year when creepy is good if creepy can be eaten, smile. Many years ago as I was watching TV, a Martha Stewart program came up. I decided to watch it. She was making this recipe, Ladies Fingers. I was so impressed with the idea of the fingers that I decided to write her recipe down and make it every year by Halloween time. The recipe is not rocket science, is just a sugar cookie that anyone can make. However, the cookie is, while its shaped into gross fingers. Enjoy!
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time:
Approximate Cost: Under $5.00
Servings: 30 cookies
 
Ingredients for the Cookies
 
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
 
Ingredients for the red nails:
2 tablespoons red food coloring
30 blanched almonds
 
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line one baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper, and set aside.
Place food coloring in a shallow bowl. Using a small paintbrush, color one rounded half of each almond. Set aside to dry.
Separate 1 egg. Set aside the white. In a small bowl, whisk together yolk, remaining egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add egg mixture, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
Divide the dough in half. Work with one piece at a time, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and chilled. Divide the first half into 15 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece back and forth with palms into finger shapes, 3 to 4 inches long. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Score each knuckle lightly with the back of a small knife. Transfer fingers to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
When all fingers are formed, brush lightly with egg white. Position almond nails; push into dough to attach.

Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool completely.
What I actually did to showcase them was to use a deep bow, filled it with graham cracker crumbs to look like they are coming out of sand. (I used to find Crumbed Oreo cookies in local stores; however, I did not find it anywhere and it was cool since they look like they were coming out of dirt.) Enjoy!