Bloody Witch Finger Cookies

Combine the butter, powdered sugar, egg, and the almond and vanilla extracts in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

With the mixer running, add the flour slowly then the baking powder and salt. Beat the dough until smooth. With the mixer still running, add the green food coloring to the dough a few drops at a time until you get the desired depth of color.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Wrap each in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (you can make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 2 days if it is well wrapped).

When you are ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and lightly grease a baking sheet.

Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator (keep the others chilled while you assemble the cookies). Scoop a heaping teaspoonful of dough and pat it out gently into a rough rectangle. Draw a line of red decorator gel along one of the long sides. Roll the dough up so the gel is in the middle. Gently pat the dough into a finger shape, sealing the ends and edges.

Press one almond into one end of the finger to make a finger nail. Squeeze the dough gently to form knuckles and use a knife to draw creases around each knuckle. Place the finger cookie on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake the cookies at 325 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet. Gently lift the almonds from the cookies and squeeze some red decorating gel where the almond was (the nail bed). Press the almond back into place, letting some of the gel ooze out.

Remove the witch finger cookies from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks. When completely cool, store the cookies in an airtight container.

The bloody witch finger cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze, let the cookies cool completely then place on a baking sheet or plate and place in the freezer until frozen. When frozen, transfer the cookies to an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag and return to the freezer.