Ultimate Thumbprint Cookies

INGREDIENTS

MIX TOGETHER AND SET ASIDE: - 1 c all purpose flour - 1/8 tsp salt BLEND TOGETHER IN A MIXER: ONE INGREDIENT AT A TIME AND IN ORDER: - 1 stick of butter, room tempurature

- 1/3 c sugar: add to the butter and blend until light and fluffy - 1 tsp vanilla extract - 1 egg yolk (reserve egg white for glossing the tops of the cookies if you want) - 3/4 c chopped walnuts (or other nut if you wish) - 1/2 c jam, preserves,spreads of your choosing. *see notes in directions

DIRECTIONS

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend flour and salt and set aside.

2.   In a seperate mixer, whip butter that has been at room temperature until light and fluffy.

3.   Add the sugar, and blend until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolk and blend. Add the vanilla and blend.

4.   Add in the flour and salt mixture and beat until blended. If adding the nuts, add them next and blend until it forms a dough ball. This is easier with a Kitchen aide blender.

5.   With the dough, take small teaspoon size portions and roll into little balls. Place on a greased cookie sheet (or parchment lined cookie sheet) Make them small, and space them on the cookie sheets....they grow when they cook!

6.   Into each ball on the cookie sheet, indent it with your thumb or finger (or even knuckle)

7.   Bake them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven. They will have puffed up a bit, and the indentation will be fairly lost at this point. Again, indent the cookies with the back of a spoon this time, while still hot. Place whatever filling you would like (about a 1/2 teaspoon in each cookie)

8.   Return them to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown on the rims of the cookies. (the fillings might even "bubble" a bit, but that is ok.

9.   * Any favorite jam,jelly or filling can be used in these cookies. The ones shown here, are apricot and strawberry preserves. Jellies tend to be more "runny" but will still work as well....depends on what you like and what you have on hand, but it is only limited to your imagination and tastes! Make this recipe your own by adding whatever your family likes. :) Seriously good cookies! And like I said, you might want to double this recipe, because they do not last long at all! :)