Thumbprint Cookies

It's never an easy task to share holidays and sometimes it just doesn't work out.  This year both our family Thanksgiving dinners were scheduled at the same time.  I wanted to do something special for Joe's family to let them know that I was thinking of them so I sent him with some of these cookies.

(*Recipe is from Martha Stewart)

• Yield Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg, separated
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 cup pistachio nut meat (Martha called for blanched almonds)
• 1/2 cup jam, or preserves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat well. Whisk together flour and salt, and add to mixture, beating on low until combined.
2. In a small food processor, combine pistachios with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and process until almonds are finely ground. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg white. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Dip in egg white, then in almond-and-sugar mixture. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheet. Make a deep indentation in the center of each ball with your finger or bottom of a thick wooden spoon.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press down the centers again. Fill the center of each cookie with about 1 teaspoon of jam. Rotate sheets, and bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes more. Remove from oven, and place on a wire rack to cool.