THUMBPRINTS AND BALL COOKIES

Thumbprints and Ball Cookies image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes about 5 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 batch Basic Vanilla Cookie Dough or Chocolate Dough (or 1/2 batch each for marbleized cookies)
3/4 cup chopped pistachios, crushed peppermints, or sanding sugar
1/2 cup apricot jam, raspberry jam, or 1 batch Ganache
1 cup chopped dried fruit mixed with 1 tablespoon fruit jam or 1 cup chopped candied orange peel
1/2 cup sanding sugar or 1 cup crushed peppermints
1 1/2 cups melted chocolate (12 ounces) plus 1/3 cup crushed peppermints

Steps:

Roll dough into 1-inch balls. (For marbleized cookies, roll out a 1/2-inch-thick rope each of vanilla and chocolate dough. Pinch 3/4-inch piece from each rope and roll together into a ball.) Roll in finely chopped nuts, crushed candies, or sanding sugar, if using. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each 1 inch apart.
For thumbprints: Press a well into the center of each using your finger. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Remove from oven, and press well again with handle end of a wooden spoon. Bake until firm, 7 to 9 minutes more.For ball cookies: Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees until firm, 14 to 16 minutes.
Let cool completely. Spoon jam, ganache, dried fruit, or candied orange filling into thumbprints. For chocolate-dipped ball cookies, dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate; sprinkle with candies, and let set in refrigerator.