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Ghouls, goblins, and witches to the front, please! Spooky season is here, and we’re celebrating in style with these scary delicious witch finger cookies. A witch finger cookie is exactly what it sounds like: a shortbread cookie shaped into a severed finger and adorned with an almond nail and a bit of blood-red jam.

For a little added texture and flavor, I added chopped pistachios. As it turns out, pistachio chunks also make for great witch warts. This recipe requires a little effort and some freezer time, but it's worth the effort. The finished cookies make for a gruesome, eye-catching dessert table centerpiece, but these cookies aren’t all flash. They’re nutty, tender, and perfectly sweet.

To get these to come out looking like actual fingers, don’t skip the dough chilling! This is the most crucial step for baking shaped shortbread cookies. Getting the dough freezer-cold means that the butter in the dough will melt slowly in the hot oven, helping the dough keep its shape instead of spreading. Cold dough is also easier to shape and decorate. 

Nut-free household? Skip the pistachios and walnuts and use large coconut flakes to make monster fingers instead.

You can make the dough up to 2 days in advance and keep refrigerated, or store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store baked cookies in an airtight container in flat layers separated by parchment paper at room temperature for up to 3 days.

5 to 6 drops green food coloring

finely chopped pistachios (about 70 g.), plus more for decorating

(135 g.) cherry, strawberry, or raspberry jam