Finger Food for Friday

FINGER FOOD

PREP TIME: Requires 30 minutes chilling
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
YIELD: About 30 Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon Amaretto
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons strawberry jelly
1 teaspoon water

NEXT:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, egg, Amaretto, and vanilla extract.  In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  Working in batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until fully incorporated.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, combine the strawberry jelly with 1 teaspoon water in a small saucepan.  Over low heat, melt the jelly.

4.  Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remainder refrigerated, roll a scant tablespoon full of dough into a thin log shape, about 4″ long for each cookie. Squeeze the dough around the center and close to one end to create knuckle shapes.  Keep the logs somewhat skinny, as they tend to expand in the oven.

5.  Make a small indentation at one end of the dough.  Drop a small bit of jelly onto the indentation, and press an almond slice firmly into the end of the cookie for a nail.  With a paring knife, make three slashes at the knuckle.

6.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until pale golden.  Allow the fingers to cool on a cooling rack.

Serve if you dare!

Recipe for Fun

Deviled Eggs, always for Halloween, but this year we’re laying (out) special spider eggs to creep out some friends.

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon (3 oz.)
• 8 hard-cooked large eggs
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. In an 8- to 10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon, turning slices as needed, until browned on both sides and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. When cool enough to handle, crumble bacon.
2. Cut each egg in half lengthwise; gently scoop out yolks and place in a bowl. Mash yolks with a fork, then stir in mayonnaise, green onions, mustard, and crumbled bacon until well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon yolk mixture into the hollow of each egg-white half. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 4 hours.

Hallow-Green National Costume Swap Day

Hop on your broom and drop in……

Angela or senior Interior Designer, and Erin L. our special events coordinator are displaying two of the costumes available for the National Costume Swap Party on Saturday.

Go green this Halloween and celebrate EEK-onomically by exchanging your gently used Halloween costumes for a new – to – you one.

Please join us.

WHEN: Saturday, October 8th from 1pm-3pm
WHERE: Totally Kids retail location at 7876 Portland Ave. S., Bloomington, MN 55420
WHAT: Hallow-Green Costume Exchange Party
WHY: To offer families a creative, eco-friendly Halloween tradition

Everyone will be entered into a drawing; the first chosen will pick their item first. The rest will follow; then, let the trading begin.

Hot spiced apple cider and cookies will be served. Play fun games and win prizes. Enter a drawing for a eco-friendly, kid powered car!

Receive a 10% discount on everything and anything when participating in the costume exchange.

Families are encouraged to bring in multiple costumes for the exchange. Any left over costumes will be donated to St. Joseph’s Home for Children, a charity that provides basic needs and emergency shelter needs for children in the Minneapolis and metro area.  Last year, Totally Kids was able to donate a carload of Halloween costumes to children. The goal for this year is to at least double that amount. What a great way to share the Halloween spirit with children who would otherwise not receive this opportunity.

FINGER FOOD

PREP TIME: Requires 30 minutes chilling
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
YIELD: About 30 Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon Amaretto
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons strawberry jelly
1 teaspoon water

NEXT:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, egg, Amaretto, and vanilla extract.  In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  Working in batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until fully incorporated.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, combine the strawberry jelly with 1 teaspoon water in a small saucepan.  Over low heat, melt the jelly.

4.  Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remainder refrigerated, roll a scant tablespoon full of dough into a thin log shape, about 4″ long for each cookie. Squeeze the dough around the center and close to one end to create knuckle shapes.  Keep the logs somewhat skinny, as they tend to expand in the oven.

5.  Make a small indentation at one end of the dough.  Drop a small bit of jelly onto the indentation, and press an almond slice firmly into the end of the cookie for a nail.  With a paring knife, make three slashes at the knuckle.

6.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until pale golden.  Allow the fingers to cool on a cooling rack.

Serve if you dare!