Anyone who has read Gregory Maguire’s book, Wicked or has seen the blockbuster play on stage, knows that the main character, Elphaba, is a witch with green skin. Although Elphaba is a good witch, she is still a bit scary, and there are plenty who plan to dress up as a green witch on Halloween. Rather than using food coloring to make these Wicked Witch’s Fingers green, nutritious spinach supplies color, moisture and most importantly, vitamins and other nutritional elements.

No one will guess that these delicious breadsticks are actually nutritious, and they are perfect to serve with chili, soup, or salad at the annual Halloween BOO-ffet. The dough is easily made in the automatic bread machine, and shaping is easy enough for the kids to help with.

32 Witch’s Fingers

1/2 cup water
4 cups packed fresh spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon yeast

1 egg
red food color
sliced almonds

1. Measure the water, spinach, olive oil, salt, flour, and yeast into the pan of an automatic bread machine.


2. Set the cycle to dough and start.


3. Let the cycle run 15 minutes to release the moisture from the spinach, scraping down the ingredients occasionally, since much of the moisture in the dough comes from the spinach. It will seem very dry at first, but as the cycle runs, the dough will become moist. When the cycle has finished running, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.


4. Roll the dough to a rectangle about 16 x 12".


5. With a pizza cutter, cut the dough in half horizontally; cut the dough vertically in half, then each half in fourths, then each fourth in four, making 32 strips.


6. Place each strip on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet.


7. Pinch the top of each finger into a point.


8. Whisk the egg and red food coloring; brush a little of the mixture onto the end of each finger and top with a sliced almond.


9. With a razor or sharp knife, make deep slits across each finger to resemble knuckles; cover loosely with a clean dish towel and let rise until doubled in bulk.


10. Preheat oven to 350°.


11. Bake the risen fingers 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 58 Calories from Fat 7
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 13% Protein 13% Carb. 75%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 1 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 7 mg
Sodium 117 mg
Total Carbohydrate 11 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 2 g

Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 3% Calcium 0% Iron 2%