Witches Finger Cookies

Creepy Hallowe'en cookies!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Butter, softened
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Almond extract
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup whole Almonds, blanched
• 2 squares of melting chocolate, or chocolate bark

Method:

Combine the sugar, egg, butter, almond extract, and vanilla in a bowl. Mix in the flour, and salt. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, or until it’s firm.

When you’re ready to shape the cookies, only take out a small portion of the dough at a time. Shape the cookies into fingers by rolling and working with your hands. Score the top of the cookie with a knife or spatula to make it look like the wrinkles in your knuckle. Press an imprint into the tip of the cookie with your finger to make a spot for the almond finger nail. Press an almond into the tip of each finger to look like a fingernail.

Placed on a cooking sheet lightly coated with no-stick cooking spray and bake at 325` for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cookies are a very light golden brown. Let the cookies cool on a drying rack.

Use melting chocolate to go around the outside of the almond nail, giving a ghoulish appearance. Just melt the chocolate, put it in an icing piping bag, and cut a very small hole in the tip. Then pipe around the nail.

If you use red melting chocolate the look will be even more dramatic, you can also make small drops of chocolate blood, or chocolate cuts on the cookies if you really want to gross out your guests.

The witches finger cookies will make great party treats, but you can also bundle them up in a decorative container and use them for your Halloween party favors. Yields: 5 dozen

Marble Cake

Can't decide if you want chocolate or white? Then let's make a marble cake!










Ingredients:
1 oz square of unsweetened chocolate
(or use 3 tablespoons cocoa and 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine.)
2 1/4 cups cake flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter (soft)
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large egg whites

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small sauce pan. Melt the chocolate. In the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.










Add the the shortening, butter, 2/3 cup of the milk and vanilla. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
Add the remaining milk and egg whites and beat for 2 more minutes. Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured tube, Bundt, or 9 x 13 inch pan. Add the melted chocolate to the remaining batter and pour over the top of the white batter. Cut through with a knife to achieve a marbled effect. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes for tube or Bundt pan or for 30-35 minutes if you are using a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Cool cake for 10 minutes after removing from the oven.










Cool completely and turn out onto plate.
Frost and eat. (Good idea to heed the flour dusting in the pan hint and let the cake cool before attempting to plate it)

Chocolate Buttermilk Glaze and Frosting

This is a chocolate lover's ultimate glaze/frosting! Bittersweet and a little tangy, just the way it should be. A bit time consuming but worth it!










Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Method:
Combine sugar and cocoa in a heavy bottomed medium saucepan. Use a wire whisk to stir in just enough buttermilk to form a smooth paste. Stir in the remaining buttermilk. Cook over medium heat until the mixture simmers and begins to boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan. Boil gently for 3 minutes (2 minutes if you half the recipe - but why would you want to do that?) stirring constantly to prevent burning. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour through a fine strainer. Allow to cool. Cover, placing plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for several hours or overnight. Frosting will thicken as it cools. (May be refridgerated for up to a week).
Note: Boiling time is important here.

Gluten Free Pineapple Cake

Here is a very tasty dessert that is celiac friendly! It is made with rice flour so is more of a pudding than a cake, but is very good. Try it with whipped cream.









Ingredients:
2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (rice flour used here)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons baking soda
20 oz. can crushed pineapple - juice and all.

Directions:
Stir ingredients together in a bowl.









Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes until done.









Let cool. Now enjoy!