Thumbprint Cookies

As I spread some raspberry jam on my toast last week, I wondered what else I could make with this jar of berry goodness. I took to one of my cook books for an answer to the burning question of the day. Thumb print cookies. These have to be the abosolute EASIEST cookies I have ever made and didn't require more than 6 ingredients. Again, everything I found here locally with the exception of the extract.

1 stick butter
2-3 Tbsp of sugar + a little for sprinklin'
1 cup + 2 Tbsp of flour
1 tsp of almond extract (you can also use vanilla extract, bringing us back to the whole vanilla extract debate)
Dash of salt
Raspberry or other jam (I personally LUV raspberry, but think that strawberry, apricot or cherry would do. all of those being found here in ol' Tunisia!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften butter in a large mixing bowl. I like to microwave in stints of 10 seconds to do this. It's a lot speedier than having to remember to put it on the counter for an hour or so. Mix in 2-3 Tbsp of sugar and cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Next, stir in flour, almond extract and a dash of salt until you form a dough. The dough will resemble short bread dough.

Now is the time to work fast. Roll small amount of dough into 1 inch balls. Be sure not to handle the dough too much as it could practically melt from the amount of butter that's in these bad boys. Place on cookie sheet and press down with thumb/knuckle to form a sort of basin in the middle of the cookie for the jam. Repeat with remainder of dough.

Take a little jam from the jar and place in the basin you've created in each cookie. Some people like to throw a sprinkle of chopped pecans (is that pee-cans or peh-kahns?) on the jam. I personally don't since hubby won't eat them. Place jammed up cookies in your preheated oven and bake for 15-20 min until the bottoms are golden brown.

Pull cookies out and sprinkle a little sugar ("Pour Some Sugar On....."). This will help keep the jam in place when you store the cookies. Let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before eating.

I recommend these for bunko nights, afternoon snacks/tea, or just when you need a little sweet in during the day.