Witch Finger Cookies: Buranelli Cookies

Are you hosting a Halloween party? Shape these Buranelli Cookies into Witch Finger Cookies and lay them in edible dirt. Creepy but delicious buttery witches cookies. 

Trick or treat?

North American Halloweeners have asked that question since the late 1920s. Since I was never one for tricks, I thought of sharing this exceptional treat with all of you.

Not only are they a treat to eat, but they are also fun to make. The actual dough comes together in less than 10 minutes. The fun part is shaping the dough to look like witches’ finger cookies.

How to make the Halloween cookie dough

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

In a bowl, sift or whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon of salt. Set aside for now.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter (125 grams) and the sugar (240 grams) for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

One by one, add 5 egg yolks. Scrape down the sides after each addition.

Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and ¾ teaspoon of lemon extract.

Add the dry ingredients and the zest of one lemon.

Now for the fun part. 

How to shape witch cookies

Use a small disher to scoop the dough and create a thick-sized log about 3-4 inches long.

Next, pinch the dough to create two indentations to imitate the knuckles/joints of a finger. With a butter knife, create creases to imitate finger folds and joints.

Next, press an almond in the tip of the dough to imitate a fingernail.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven. Note: Chill the fingers before baking them if the dough was manipulated for a long time.

Once baked, carefully remove the almond, place about 1/4 of a teaspoon of strawberry jelly and replace the almond.

And there you have it, you have just created a Halloween biscotti in the shape of a witch finger.

Tips

• If you have a scale, use it to weigh the ingredients. 
• If you judge that the dough was manipulated too long at room temperature, chill the dough to prevent the cookies from spreading too much when baking.

How do you make the edible dirt?

Pulse chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor until coarsely ground. Create the perfect base to lay the witch fingers on.

What can I make with the leftover egg whites?

If you don’t know what to make with those leftover egg whites, try this recipe for Bruttiboni. Another family favorite is this recipe for amaretti cookies. If you are looking for a special treat, look at these oven-roasted sugar almonds for the perfect sweet snack.

These are all easy-to-make cookies that will leave your kitchen smelling delicious!

Simple Cookie Recipes

If you’re looking for other simple cookie recipes, check out our favorite whole wheat cookies packed with nutrition and flavor. Plus, oat bran cookies for those who love oats or Italian anise cookies for those looking to add a little spice. These recipes will quickly become household favorites that will have you baking cookies in no time!

Recipe origin

One of my favorite cookbooks is “The Italian Baker” by Carol Field. 

When I purchased her book, I was pleasantly surprised to see a whole chapter on cookies. This recipe for these Halloween fingers is an adaptation of Carol Field’s Buranelli Cookies.

These Italian butter cookies, Bussolai Buranei originate from Burano, a tiny island in the lagoon surrounding Venice.

The cookie dough is usually made into backward-shaped S cookies. As you can see, they also make great Halloween Biscotti Cookies.

So, the next time someone asks you trick or treat… you know what to ask for!

Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

And if you are new here, welcome! You may want to sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. You can unsubscribe any time you want.

Ciao for now,

Maria 

★★★★★ If you have made this Halloween cookie recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Witch Finger Cookies [Buranelli Cookies]

Hosting a Halloween party? Shape these Buranelli Cookies into Witch Finger Cookies and lay them in edible dirt. Creepy but delicious buttery witches cookies. 

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 48 servings

Calories: 84kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

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Ingredients

• 125 grams butter (about 1 stick plus 2 teaspoons)
• 240 grams granulated sugar (1 cup plus 3 tablespoons)
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon lemon extract
• 400 grams all purpose flour (almost 3 cups)
• 1 tsp salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp strawberry jelly
• 48 almonds

Instructions

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• One by one, add the egg yolks. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the extracts.
• Add the flour, salt and lemon zest and mix until just incorporated.
• Scoop dough with small sized cookie scoop and drop on work surface.
• Roll into a log. Pinch the dough to create two indentations to imitate the knuckles of finger. With a butter knife, create creases to imitate fingers folds and joints. Next, press an almond in the tip of the dough in order to imitate a fingernail.
• Preheat oven to 375℉ (190°C).
• Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
• Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.
• Once cookies are cool, carefully lift the almond and place 1/4 teaspoon of strawberry jelly. If almond cannot be removed, simply dab a bit of strawberry jelly.

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

• If you have a scale, use it to weigh the ingredients. 
• If you judge that the dough was manipulated too long at room temperature, chill the dough to prevent the cookies from spreading too much when baking.

How do you make the edible dirt? Simply pulse chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor until coarsely ground. Create the perfect base to lay the witch fingers on.

What can I make with the leftover egg whites?

• Bruttiboni
• Soft Amaretti Cookies
• Oven Roasted Sugar Almonds

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

*recipe lightly adapted from Carol Field

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 18mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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This post was originally published on October 31, 2017 and republished on October 15, 2019 with updated content. Thanks for sharing!