Jam Thumbprints a la Eli

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg yolks (save whites)

1 tsp vanilla

1.5 cups flour

2 slightly beaten egg whites to roll the dough balls in

1 cup finely chopped nuts to roll the dough balls in

jam to put in the thumbprint crater on the cookies

In a big bowl mix the butter until its soft, then add the sugar until its all mixed. Next add the egg yolks and the vanilla. Then beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer.  Then mix in the rest of the flour by hand. Put this dough in the fridge for like an hour; cover it up so it doesn't dry out.  

After an hour, take out the dough and make little 1-inch balls. Roll the ball in the egg whites and then roll that in the chopped up nuts. Put each nut-covered dough ball on the cookies sheet. Then smash all of the dough balls with your thumbprint making a little crater in the cookie (that's where the jam goes once they come out of the over and cool).  

Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes (just until the edges of the cookies are slightly brown).  Cool the cookies off. You might have to smash the thumbprints again after you take them out of the oven.  Once they are cool, put a scoop of your favorite flavor jam in the crater.  I like raspberry jam or blackberry jam.  These are yummy cookies.

From,

Eli

P.S. I like to double the recipe.

P.P.S. This is Anna here. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, too. The only think I do differently is that I put the jam in before I cook them. It solidifies a little and is a really nice kind of gooey. You should give it a try.