Severed Fingers...

There is less than one week before halloween arrives - and the clock is ticking! So, with only a few days left, I've decided to send you a few  of my favorite halloween recipes - don't procrastinate - get in the kitchen and whip one of these up - your little goblins will thanks you!

To start you off, I offer up Severed Fingers - you will love gnawing on these almond flavored, shortbread-esque cookies:

Severed Fingers - Pots and Pins

1 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons water

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup finely chopped almonds

whole almonds for "fingernails"

1 tube red decorators icing

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add water and vanilla; mix well. Blend in flour and nuts. Mix until incorporated. Scoop dough into a ball and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

To make cookies, shape dough into fingers about 3 inches long by rolling a piece of dough between hands, pinching slightly on either side of the "knuckle" area. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and put a whole almond on the end for the nail, pushing down slightly. Leave the other end of the finger a little uneven to get that "severed" look! With a knife, make three tiny lines across the "knuckle" area of the finger...whats a knuckle without a few wrinkles?

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. When cool, squirt some of the red decorators icing onto the "severed" end of the finger - but don't make a bloody mess of it!

Makes 36 Severed Fingers.