For At-Home Halloween Fun, Make This Kid-Friendly Gluten-Free Snack
This Halloween, like much of the rest of 2020, looks a good bit different from any year before. Finding a way to celebrate the spooky day with family while being mindful of the risks of COVID-19 likely means staying home—so a recipe you can make with kids is the perfect thing to try.
Because Halloween is normally dominated by sickly sweet treats, these savory "witches finger" breadsticks are a welcome respite from the candy and cookies. From New York Times bestselling cookbook author Danielle Walker, these are also gluten-free, made with blanched almond flour instead of traditional flour. That flavor is carried through with the whole almonds used on the ends of the breadsticks, meant to mimic fingernails—maybe it doesn't sound appetizing, but we promise it is.
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"These knobby garlic breadstick fingers may just put a spell on you," says Walker, "Dip them in your favorite marinara sauce for a spooky snack." If marinara sauce isn't your favorite, you can always try a different healthy pasta sauce. Once the dough comes together, bring the kids in to help shape the dough into the spooky fingers. Perfect for marking the holiday from the comfort of your kitchen.
Gluten-Free Witches' Fingers
Makes 12
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1¼ cups blanched almond flour
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon light-colored raw honey
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 12 whole raw almonds
- Marinara sauce, for serving
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat the ghee and garlic in a small skillet over low heat and keep on low while you make the breadsticks.
- Combine the almond flour, egg, olive oil, honey, rosemary, salt, garlic salt, and baking soda in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, or use an electric handheld beater. Mix on medium speed until a ball of dough forms.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Using your fingertips, roll each piece of dough out into a finger shape, about 4 inches long. If the dough begins to crack, wet your fingertips slightly and continue rolling. Use your fingers to create knotted knuckles and a knife to make light creases in the dough. Press the almonds halfway down at the ends of the breadsticks to create fingernails.
- Place the breadsticks on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Brush with the garlic-infused ghee. Bake for 12 minutes, turning over halfway through. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, and serve warm with hot marinara sauce for dipping.
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Eliza Sullivan is an SEO Editor at mindbodygreen, where she writes about food, recipes, and nutrition—among other things. She received a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in english literature with honors from Boston University, and she has previously written for Boston Magazine, TheTaste.ie, and SUITCASE magazine.