Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup about raspberry or blackberry jelly or jam

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Gradually add the flour and mix well.
3. To assemble, lightly whip the egg whites with a fork. Place the nuts in another bowl. Shape the dough into 3/4- to 1-inch balls and dip each ball in the egg white and then roll in the nuts. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Use your thumb to make a deep depression in the middle of each. (Thumbprint cookies, get it!)
4. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned and firm. Let cool on a wire rack. Fill each cookie with 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

Notes

Yield: about 3 dozen. From "Country Desserts" by Lee Bailey (Potter).

Original card

The recipe above was transcribed from this scan of Vera’s original card.

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