Making the Fingers

• Choose a recipe that makes rolled and cut cookies, rather than drop cookies. Most sugar cookies or shortbread-type cookies will work beautifully. Pinch off small balls of dough, and roll each one into a long, tapered cylinder to represent the finger. For extra realism, leave the knuckles slightly knobby and indent the portions in between. Use a toothpick, or the tip of a bamboo skewer, to press creases into the cookie on the back of each knuckle. Finally, press a sliced almond to the tip of each finger to make a disconcertingly realistic fingernail. Most cookie doughs will spread slightly as they bake, so keep the fingers skinny. Refrigerate the cookies for 30 to 45 minutes before baking to help them hold their shape and remain realistic.

A Gruesome Dip

• To add a touch of kid-friendly gruesomeness, give the "cut" end of the fingers a splash of gore. Thin red icing with a few drops of red-colored fruit juice, or warm strawberry jam in your microwave and thin it slightly with juice. Dip the end of each cookie into the gory, sticky goodness; or divide it between small bowls -- to avoid double-dipping -- and give each small guest a personal bowl of cookie dip.