CLASSIC THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Classic Thumbprint Cookies image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Time 57m

Yield 4 dozen cookies

Number Of Ingredients 11

Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening, cut into slices
or 1 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
3 large eggs, separated
2 tbsps. water
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 cup Smucker's® Strawberry Preserves, or any Smucker's® Preserves, Jam or Jelly

Steps:

HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust rack to middle position. Coat two cookie sheets lightly with no-stick cooking spray.
BEAT brown sugar and shortening in medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg yolks, water, vanilla and salt. Beat until well combined. Add flour on low speed until well blended.
BEAT egg whites in a shallow bowl until foamy. Place pecans in a separate shallow bowl. Measure about 2 teaspoons dough for each cookie. Roll into balls. Dip each dough ball into egg whites, then roll into pecans. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Using the back of a teaspoon or your thumb, make a rounded indentation in the top of each cookie.
BAKE 10 minutes. Remove from oven. It may be necessary to create the indentation once again with a spoon. Place about 1 teaspoon preserves into the indentation of each cookie. Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Cool on baking sheet for several minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.