Witchy Read and a Witchy Recipe

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. The predictions leave Nancy's mind reeling. 
   Could this "witch" with the cat eyes really see the future, or was it all just a hoax?

Shortbread Witches Fingers

Ingredients

• Food Lion
• 6 Washington St
• CAMBRIDGE, MD 21613

• Walgreens
• 640 Sunburst Hwy
• CAMBRIDGE, MD 21613

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 1/2 cup whole almonds
• 1 drop red food color
• 1 tbsp. rum
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond flavoring

Directions

1. 1. Mix red food coloring in 3 tablespoons of water and dip the whole almonds in it. Spread them on on waxed paper and allow them to dry as you prepare the dough.
2. 2.  Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; with a pastry cutter, chop in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the rum extract and almond extract into the water in a small bowl. Mix into the dry ingredients, a little bit at a time, until the mixture holds together in a ball when you squeeze it.
3. 3. Take a pinch of the dough and roll between your palms to make a long, round, finger-sized shape. Score with a paring knife to make knuckles on the finger. Press an almond at one end of the finger cookie, to form the fingernail. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
5. Bake the cookies just until the edges are lightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool on sheets for 2 minutes before removing. 
6. Handle carefully to keep fingernails in place.  If they come off, you can glue them back with a small pinch of white icing. 
7. If you don't have canned icing on hand, you can make the glue by melting 3 tbsp butter in a microwave bowl and stir in enough confectioner's sugar to make a thick paste.
8.