Brain Cookies With Blood Glaze

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2: Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 3: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.

Step 4: Into a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Step 5: Alternating with the eggs, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating well after the each addition.

Step 6: Fold in the nuts, vanilla, and red and blue food coloring, being careful not to overmix the dough.

Step 7: Place the dough in batches in a potato grinder and push the dough out onto the prepared baking sheets in long tubes of dough.

Step 8: With your fingers, loosely pat and arrange the dough strands into clumps resembling brains, pushing to form 2 hemispheres and shaping into a walnut-like shape.

Step 9: Bake until golden brown on the bottom, 12 to 14 minutes.

Step 10: Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Step 11: To make the blood glaze: in a small bowl, combine the icing sugar with the food coloring to make a thick glaze, whisking together.

Step 12: Drizzle the "blood" onto the cookies and serve either warm or at room temperature.