These clever witches’ fingers are the perfect addition to your spooky spread and each one is only 54 calories.
Whether you’re throwing a Halloween party or you’re looking for a fun activity to make with kids, these witches’ fingers are an excellent choice. You’ll need eight ingredients, most of which you probably already have in the cupboard and 10 minutes to prepare the dough.
Ingredients
- 100g butter
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 225g plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 45 blanched almonds, halved
- 5 tbsp strawberry jam, preferably smooth
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar until pale. Add the egg and vanilla, and whisk again. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and mix to form a soft dough. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 45 portions and roll each piece into a finger shape. Press the back of a knife into the dough to make knuckles. Lightly press an almond onto the dough where the nail would be, then remove it again. This is just to leave a little dent for later. Put on lined baking trays and chill for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Bake for 10-12 minutes until pale golden, then remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack.
- Once cooled, spoon a little jam onto the nail base and top with an almond. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Top tips for making witches' fingers
To make the fingers look even spookier, you can dip the ends in jam to make them look severed. You could also add a couple of drops of green or purple food colouring to give them a more ghoulish twist. For more inspiration and tips, continue reading below.
How can I make a nut-free version of this recipe?
For guests with nut allergies, we recommend making the green version of these witches' fingers (see above) and swapping the almonds for half a bright red glacé cherry. It will look like a painted fingernail. Snip the ends into a point to make them look more like sharp nails.
What are the best things to serve at a grown-up Halloween party?
For a party that is not a sit down dinner, we recommend plenty of picky things that people can eat with one hand while they hold a drink with the other. Go all out with the spook-factor and don't be afraid to serve things like this - they're not just for kids, because at Halloween anything goes. They're also great to have on hand for any passing trick or treaters.
How to make savoury witches’ fingers?
If you’d like to serve some savoury witches’ fingers, you could swap the sweet biscuit dough for a shortcrust pastry. Use a red pesto instead of jam and stick to the almonds for the nails.
For this recipe it’s best to use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar. Doing it manually will take much longer and requires a lot of elbow grease! If you like your devices to be very versatile, we love the look of the 2-in-1 blender and mixer from Ninja.
We have lots more Halloween food ideas including these adorable rice Krispie pumpkins. Once you’ve carved your spooky pumpkins, be sure to read our guide on what to do with leftover pumpkin so nothing goes to waste!
