BONY FINGERS & TOES

COOKIES or SPOOKIES???

(adapted from recipe found at CanaryGirl.com)

DISCLAIMER: I usually do not embrace or celebrate anything about Halloween.

Even as a kid it was not a holiday that I really enjoyed. Yes, it was fun to dress up (if you had a cool costume like the 6 kids at school dressed as a 6-pack of Coke) and it was great to get loads of candy (provided your Dad didn't sneak all of your chocolate bars out "for inspection").

No, it was scary, embarrassing, and downright humiliating and confusing to be taught not to EVER take candy from a stranger...oh, except at night...in the dark...on all hallows eve...at houses that played ceepy music and had skeletons on their porch...from people with fake blood on their faces (do you see where I'm going with this?).

Needless to say, I am happy it has never really taken root here in New Zealand. There are a few stragglers here and there, but they don't even dress up, they don't know the "rules" (for example - never trick-or-treat a house unless they left the porch light on for trick-or-treaters) and, in my opinion, Kiwi kids already eat far too much rubbish from the friendly neighbourhood dairy (convenience stores akin to the American 7-eleven or Plaid Pantry) in the form of chewy, gummy lollies and 'chocky bars'.

Anyway, I was talking to a friend recently, and it got me thinking (scary in itself, I know), and reading some of the other cool blogs out there in foodie-blog-land. I eventually happened to stumble across CanaryGirl which had lots of gory and goulish ideas and it reminded me of a friend in Oregon who usually dresses up with the hubby (and the pooch) every year, so my lovely daughter and I felt obliged to make these little gems in their honour. This was a great kitchen bonding time for us too. (Cheryl, the boo chips were cool, but what do you reckon about these, creepy eh? LOL)

In any case, I spent the later afternoon yesterday with the family out back, planting the veggie crop for this year. We planted a good variety, so let's hope we get to eat more of it than those pesky white butterflies do this year!

INGREDIENTS:
½ Cup Butter, softened

¾ Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tbsp Vanilla

½ Tsp Green Food Colouring

1½ Cups Flour

½ Tsp Baking Powder

½ Tsp Salt

½ Cup (approx) Blanched Almonds (skin off)

DIRECTIONS:
First, cream the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and food colouring together in a medium bowl.

Next, slowly add in the dry ingredients and stir the mixture until well combined.
Now you will need to refrigerate the dough for at least 45 minutes, wrapped in plastic wrap.

When the dough has set firmly, preheat your oven to 150º C (325º F).

Divide dough in half and reserve one half in the refrigerator whilst working on the other.

Line baking sheets with parchment or, as I like to use, a silicone baking mat.

Now roll pieces of dough with your hands into thin fingers, making sure to keep them quite thin, as the dough tends to spread quite a bit.

Once you are happy with the shape, press an almond onto the end of each finger and, using a butter knife or skewer, make indentations for knuckles (I also squeezed the dough a bit where the knuckles were, to make them more prominent).

To make toes, roll small balls of dough, and then roll one side to make the length of the toe, leaving the part for the “nail” a little bigger. Press almonds onto the “toes.”

Finally, bake the “spookies” in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until done, but NOT browned.

Cool on wire racks for 2-3 minutes, then move them onto a plate.

They are not oversweet, but just right for a creepy after-school snack!