Finger food

Hallowe’en is over for many people, but for mystery readers and writers, every day has potential for being spooky.

I made these eerie looking cookies this year for our local Sisters in Crime board meeting. You might want to consider them for your next book party, or plan ahead for Hallowe'en 2008, only 362 days away.

The Recipe

I cheated (which I usually do at cooking) and started with a roll of cookie dough that's in the refrigerator section of the supermarket. I chose peanut butter because it seemed closest to "flesh" color.

Step 1. Instead of cutting the dough as directed, lop off pieces and shape into long skinny "fingers." The first time we tried this we made the shape too wide and got very, very fat fingers. [You'd think I'd know about thermal expansion.] A roll about the diameter of a pencil works well.

Step 2. Place the fingers on an ungreased cookie sheet. Stick a slivered almond slice into one end of the finger, to be the finger nail.

Step 3. Squeeze red frosting (another cheat, using a tube of red frosting) on the opposite end from the nail, for a bloody look. (I know—eeew!) If you lay the fingers out facing the same way, you can just run a line of frosting down the sheet, capturing all the fingers with one swoop.

Step 4. Bake according to package directions and SERVE.

What's your favorite FUN recipe??