Witch’s Severed Fingers

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C, 375°F, Gas 5.

Mix the flour and butter together in a food processor for about 20-30 seconds or until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.

Add the cheese, cayenne pepper and salt and pulse until the dough is formed.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to make a smooth dough. Chill for 20 minutes.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to make a 30cm long x 13cm wide x 5mm thick (12”x 5”x ¼”) rectangle and cut into 24 strips. Using a palette knife, transfer to the baking trays, spacing slightly apart.

Round the tops of each pastry strip into a fingertip shape. Brush the tips with a little water then press an almond ‘nail’ into the tip, pointed end uppermost. Put the Lyle’s Black Treacle into a small bowl, stir in half a teaspoon of boiling water and, using a small pastry brush, brush each ‘nail’ with the treacle. Use a small sharp knife lightly score shallow ‘knuckle’ lines in each finger and then bend each finger in places to make it look knobbly.

Bake on the top and middle shelves of the oven for 10-12 minutes, swapping the trays over halfway through until golden brown. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool.