WITCHES FINGER COOKIES

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• Sliced natural almonds, optional

Directions

1. Using medium speed of an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Gradually beat in 2 1/4 cups flour just until combined. If dough is too sticky, add additional flour, 1 tbsp at a time, and knead until dough comes together and forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate dough 2 hours or until dough is firm enough to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 300°F.
3. Using a scant 1 tbsp of dough for each cookie, shape a flattened roll to look like a bony finger. Using your own finger as a model, make knuckle lines with a knife. Shape and flatten one end to look like a fingernail. One piece of almond can be carefully pressed in for a nail. Place fingers on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake until cookies are firm, about 15 - 18 minutes. Do not overbake. Let cookies stand for 2 minutes on cookie sheets. Remove from cookie sheets and cool cookies on racks. May be frozen.