Thumbprint Cookies are maybe the easiest cookies in the world to make. I don’t eat many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but I often find an open jar of jam in the fridge that needs to be used up. This is my preferred way to get rid of unwanted jam.

OR, if I feel like splurging, I use Sweet Thing Gourmet’s jam. This jam is so good, I can’t see myself ever wasting it on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I often eat it on a banana or with cream cheese and crackers, or of course, in these cookies, so I can truly enjoy how fantastic it is without covering it up with other flavors. My favorite (shown here) is the Brandied Apricot Jam. I swear, I don’t love it just because it’s orange.

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Thumbprint Cookies
from Betty Crocker

 

¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup shortening
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup finely chopped nuts (optional)
Jelly of your choice

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix brown sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla and egg yolk in medium bowl. Stir in flour and salt until dough holds together. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Beat egg white slightly. Dip each ball into egg white. Optional: roll in nuts. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press thumb deeply in center of each.
Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Fill thumbprints with jelly.