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Real shortbread fingers

Makes 18  
Prep 20 mins plus cooling and chilling  
Cook 20 mins  
Difficulty Easy

Deliciously creepy, these shortbread fingers are guaranteed to spook your guests!

What you'll need
  • 115g lightly salted butter, softened
  • 65g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp Dr. Oetker Caramel Flavour
  • 165g plain flour
  • 40g cornflour
  • 1 Dr. Oetker Free Range Egg White Powder Sachet
  • 25g blanched almonds
  • Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Food Colour Gel, red
Method

1.  Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and well blended, then beat in the Dr. Oetker Caramel Flavour.

2.  Sift in the flour and cornflour, then stir into the mixture, bringing everything together with your hands to form a firm dough. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently until smooth.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
You can knead a few drops of green colour gel into the shortbread dough to create green fingers!

3.  Cut the dough in half and divide each half into 9 portions. Working on one portion at a time, roll back and forth gently on the work surface to form a skinny finger shape about 10cm long.

4.  Pinch the fingers in 2 places to make the bone joints, then score with a knife for the wrinkles. Place on the baking tray, keeping the fingers spaced a little apart. You can make the fingers different lengths and shape them with a bend to make crooked fingers. As a rule, the thinner you roll the shortbread mixture, the less it spreads during cooking.

5.  Make up the Dr. Oetker Free Range Egg White Powder Sachet according to the pack instructions, then whisk until slightly frothy. Brush over the top of the fingers, then gently press an almond into the top of each one for fingernails. Chill for 30 mins.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
The egg white glaze creates the crackled effect on the fingers as they bake making them look more realistic.

6.  Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Squeeze a few drops of the red Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Food Colour Gel into a small dish, then using a paint brush, carefully paint it over the almonds. Bake for about 20 mins until very lightly golden. Cool for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
Why not try painting the nails different colours using different coloured colour gels – green nails look spooky!

  • 115g lightly salted butter, softened
  • 65g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp Dr. Oetker Caramel Flavour
  • 165g plain flour
  • 40g cornflour
  • 1 Dr. Oetker Free Range Egg White Powder Sachet
  • 25g blanched almonds
  • Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Food Colour Gel, red

1.  Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and well blended, then beat in the Dr. Oetker Caramel Flavour.

2.  Sift in the flour and cornflour, then stir into the mixture, bringing everything together with your hands to form a firm dough. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently until smooth.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
You can knead a few drops of green colour gel into the shortbread dough to create green fingers!

3.  Cut the dough in half and divide each half into 9 portions. Working on one portion at a time, roll back and forth gently on the work surface to form a skinny finger shape about 10cm long.

4.  Pinch the fingers in 2 places to make the bone joints, then score with a knife for the wrinkles. Place on the baking tray, keeping the fingers spaced a little apart. You can make the fingers different lengths and shape them with a bend to make crooked fingers. As a rule, the thinner you roll the shortbread mixture, the less it spreads during cooking.

5.  Make up the Dr. Oetker Free Range Egg White Powder Sachet according to the pack instructions, then whisk until slightly frothy. Brush over the top of the fingers, then gently press an almond into the top of each one for fingernails. Chill for 30 mins.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
The egg white glaze creates the crackled effect on the fingers as they bake making them look more realistic.

6.  Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Squeeze a few drops of the red Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Food Colour Gel into a small dish, then using a paint brush, carefully paint it over the almonds. Bake for about 20 mins until very lightly golden. Cool for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
Why not try painting the nails different colours using different coloured colour gels – green nails look spooky!