Eggless Spooky Witch's Fingure Cookies- Halloween special - Step by step -Home Baker's Challenge

 When Nalini of  Nalini's Kitchen, gave the recipe for halloween, I took no time to select these soft cookies, which were more fun to do. As it is the month of "Purattasi", I didn't want to prepare cookies with egg. But instead added milk, according to Priya Suresh's guidelines.It came out too good. I halved the recipe ,as it was too much for my family. But still, got around 4 dozen of cookies. Next time will plan to divide it into 1/4 th recipe. Check the step by step tutorial for a clear recipe.

Recipe Source      : All recipes
Yield                   : 4 dozens of cookies
Preparation time   : 15 mins
Refrigeration time : 30 mins
Cooking time        : 20 - 25 mins

Ingredients:
*1/2 cup butter, softened
*1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
*1/2 egg or 2 tbsp of milk or more
*1/2 teaspoon almond extract
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
*1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*1/1 teaspoon salt
*3/4 cup whole almonds or as needed
*1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel  (optional)

 Method:
Take a mixing bowl, add flour,salt and baking powder . Mix them well.

In another bowl, add melted butter,confectioner's sugar ,vanilla extract.

Beat the butter with the confectioner's sugar well, along the extract.If you are using egg, add at this point and beat them well.But I didn't use egg.

Now slowly,add the flour mixture to the bowl . Add them in batches to mix them well.

Now the mixture will be crumble. Now add milk , a tabsp at a time. It took me 2 tbsp of milk ,to form a pilable dough.

Knead it into a soft dough. By now, butter would have incorporated well with the dough.

Cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate it 30 minutes.

Take a teaspoon and divide the dough into equal parts as shown.

Take a butter paper, roll the dough into a fingure shape. Just flat the fingure on the tip.

Place a almond on the edge. Use a toothpick and make lines, which represents our knuckels.

Preheat the oven for 325 degree F.Grease a cookie sheet and place the fingure cookies on it.

Bake the cookies for 20 -25 mins or untill it becomes golden .

Cool the cookies on a wire rack as shown.

Now for fun, take out the almonds and add some red colour gel on the nail cavity, then glue the almonds again.This will give a spooky effect to the cookie.

Store them in air tight containers and indulge.