Thumbprint Cookies

Whether you want cookies for an open house, reception, some other special occasion or want to deliver an impressive platter of goodies, Thumbprints are a show stopper.

Surprisingly easy to make, these little nut studded shortbreads with their fruit-jeweled centers will add sparkle to your holiday assortment. Fruit jams of your choice can be added to their centers. I’m partial to berry jams, but you can’t go amiss with apricot, peach or grape either.

One of my sons just peered over my writing and said, “Oh, yum. I love those.” See, what I mean? With their melt-in-your-mouth goodness, these little gems are sure to please.

Thumbprint Cookie Recipe:

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup finely chopped nuts
• Jam or jelly

Mix butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla thoroughly. Add flour and salt and stir in. Roll dough into small balls. Beat egg white slightly with fork. Dip balls in egg white. Roll in nuts. Place on ungreased baking sheet.*

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and gently depress indents into a cookie with a small rounded implement while still hot. Place cookies on a cooling rack. Let cool. Pipe or spoon jam into cooled centers of the cookie.

*At this point, you could press your thumb into the cookie ball before baking, hence the name of the cookie. Not having had success with this method, I created a different method as shared above.