Ghoulish Shortbread Fingers

The spookiest date on the calendar is just around the corner, and to help celebrate, Callebaut Ambassador, Kirsten Tibballs, has put together this seriously creepy (but delicious) Halloween recipe. 

Makes: 18 biscuits

Shortbread Pastry
Ingredients
150g Unsalted Butter
100g Icing Sugar
50g Whole Eggs
260g Plain Flour
½ tsp Baking Powder
Pinch Maldon Sea Salt

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 160°C. Beat the butter into a thick, smooth paste with an electric beater or food processor. When smooth add the icing sugar and the eggs. Combine. Add the flour, baking powder and finally the salt and mix until it comes together as a dough. Press the dough into a neat flat square, wrap in plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up. Roll the dough on a bench lightly dusted with flour. Cut finger shapes 7cm x 1.5cm, place the biscuits onto a lined tray and make impressions for the knuckles with a small knife and press a flat butter knife on the tip where the finger nail will go. Bake at 160°C for approximately 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on the tray and store in an airtight container until you are ready to assemble.

Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
150g Bulla Thickened Cream
225g Callebaut 823 Milk Couverture 33.6%

Method
Boil the cream in a saucepan. Pour it over the milk chocolate previously placed in a bowl and whisk together until combined. Leave it in the bowl and place plastic wrap touching the surface of the ganache and sit it at room temperature for approximately 2 hours.

Assembly

30g Seedless Strawberry Jam
2 drops Red Gel Colour
18 Flaked Almonds

Place the ganache into a piping bag with a plain round piping tube or into a zip lock bag and cut the corner off. Turn over every second biscuit and pipe ganache onto the base. Sandwich it together with a second biscuit. Add the red colour to the jam and mix it through, spoon a small amount on the top finger where the nail goes and place an almond (pointy end out) on top. Only assemble the biscuits the same day they are eaten.