Halloween Witches Fingers

The funny thing about these "witches fingers" I've found is, because they look so unappetizing people aren't inclined to eat them but Halloween can't be all about fancy cupcakes! I like the fact they look so gross lol!

Again this is up there with the worst of the worst photos but I shall up my photography game, I've really got to be less lazy and actually use my camera instead of my phone.....lazybones!

 

Recipe for sugar cookies

Ingredients for vanilla sugar cookies

 

• 200g caster sugar
• 100g icing sugar
• 300g unsalted butter, diced.
• 2 large eggs.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 500-550g all-purpose flour, sifted.
• Extra flour for kneading and rolling.

For decoration :

30-40 blanched almonds, cut into halves after the skin is removed
1 teaspoon dark cocoa powder + a little brush

 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.
2. In a bowl or in the kitchen mixer with paddle attachment, mix the two types of sugar, vanilla and the egg.
3. Add the flour and the butter and keep mixing just until the dough comes together.
4. Knead the dough lightly by hand on your flour dusted kitchen counter and wrap it well in cling film and put it in a plastic bag. Chill the dough for 2 hours or if caught for time I have put in the freezer for 30mins.
5. Take a small piece of cookie dough and roll it back and forth. You should make the finger long and thinly,think witch long and creepy. Pinch and form knuckles. Score with a sharp knife and transfer the fingers to the prepared baking sheet. Place a almond “nail” on the cookie fingers. Chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
6. Put your fingers in the oven for 12-15 mins until lightly browned. Transfer to cooling rack and leave cool completely. When cooled dust with a little cocoa powder and your cookies are ready!

Enjoy (or watch people make disgusted faces at them,either way they're great!)

Shirley x

Baby Cakes!

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade.............hmmm what I didn't realise was that life would be beating the crap out of me with the so called lemons! When everything was settling back to normal and I was starting to get back into my baking stride,my other half  G was struck down with a still yet "unknown Virus" which was inflaming his heart. Life was work, hospital, little sleep for over a week. G was discharged and is expected to make a full recovery.....Phew! He'll be out of work for a few months and has to rest up. So I packed him off to stay with his mother because I now had to face into the task of MOVING!!!

I never realised how much stuff we had actually accumulated over the years but my god! The packing I didn't mind so much but the unpacking.......nightmare. I soldiered on and after many days and even more boxes I'm finally unpacked :)

So as I said I got a little baking in, My friend Carmel wanted a cake for her sisters baby shower. My camera was full at the time so the good ol' iPhone stepped in so please forgive the quality.

My friend Jean asked me to do a cake for her nephew Callums christening. Its similar to my own nephews cake but with a few little tweaks.

This is a slumpy teddy bear, in other words I didn't leave it dry properly...ooops :)

 And here are a few more baby cakes I've done along the way!

Happy Baking!

Shirley x