Cheesy biscuit witches’ fingers

Cheesy Biscuit Witches Fingers

Cheesy biscuits are a fun Halloween snack that kids will love to nibble. Dipped in tomato sauce, these “witches fingers” taste like pizza. As an alternative to pumpkin seeds, try cutting “nails” out of sliced pepperoni.

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) whole wheat flour
1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive or canola oil
1/2-1 cup (125-250 ml) grated aged cheddar
3/4 cup (185 ml) milk or buttermilk
2-4 tbsp (30-60 ml) pumpkin seeds (green or white)
tomato or your favourite pasta sauce, for dipping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and oil and stir with a pastry blender, wire whisk or fork until crumbly. Toss in the grated cheese.

3. Add the milk and stir gently until the dough begins to come together. Break off walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll them into thin sticks; roughly pinch and shape them so that they resemble fingers. Press a pumpkin seed into the end of each to make fingernails.

4. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until pale golden. Serve “witch fingers” with tomato sauce for dipping.

Makes about 3 dozen witches’ fingers.

Per finger:

60 calories, 3.6 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat, 1.7 g monounsaturated fat, .4 g polyunsaturated
fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 5.4 g carbohydrate, 1.5 g protein, .5 g fibre.

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, October 2013.