Becky Crocker's Old Fashioned Thumbprint Cookies

We attend our neighborhood Christmas Cookie exchange party every year about this time, and I always like to bring a new and different kind of cookie.  Thumbprint cookies are classic and timeless treats.  And even though I had not ever made them before, they came together quickly and easily and looked super festive for our cookie exchange. 

Betty Crocker's Old Fashioned Thumbprint Cookies

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 brown sugar, packed

1 egg, separated

1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
Jelly or tinted confectioner sugar icing

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. 
3. Work in flour and salt until dough holds together. 
4. Shape dough into one inch balls.
5. Beat egg white slightly.  Dip each ball into egg white and roll in nuts. 
6. Place one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Press thumb deeply into the center of each. 
7. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. 
8. Immediately remove from baking sheet; cool.  Fill thumbprints with jelly. 

Notes: This recipe is said to make 3 dozen one inch cookies.  They are meant to be small.  And mine were. Even still, I struggled to stretch to 2 dozen cookies with this recipe.  I will double this batch the next time I make them!

If you are wondering where I found green jelly, it is mint apple flavored and was sold with all the other jellies at my local grocery store.  It was really festive looking.  I also used raspberry jelly (for the red) and apricot (for the gold).