Witchy Reading

By Marie Prato

   Nancy Krommer with her best friend Cindy goes to the fortune teller Ruth to see what the future holds for them. The "witch" tells the girls some disturbing things that she sees in their tea leaves that leaves Nancy's mind reeling. Could this "witch" with the cat eyes really see the future, or was it all just a hoax?

Spooky Witch's Fingers Recipe

Original recipe makes 60 cookies Change Servings

• 1 cup butter, softened 
   
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  
• 1 egg
  
  
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 3/4 cup whole almonds
  
•   1 tsp red food coloring

• PREP
  35 mins
• COOK
  20 mins
• READY IN
  1 hr 15 mins

Directions

1. Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.
   
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray baking sheets with Pam
   
3. Mix almonds with food coloring in a cup. Spread on Wax paper to dry.
   
4. Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper. Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long red fingernail.
   
   Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance.
   
   Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.
   
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.