Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

By CathyD

There's a holiday air to these nut-rich cookies with their gay tinted centers.

Another from the Betty Crocker Christmas Cookie Pamphlet.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soft shortening (part butter)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 square unsweetened chocolate (1 oz.), melted
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• BUTTERSCOTCH THUMBPRINTS
• Use 1/4 cup brown sugar in place of granulated and omit chocolate.

Preparation

Step 1

Heat overn to 350 degrees.

Mix well shortening, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and melted chocolate. Mix flour and salt and stir in.

Roll 1 teaspoon dough into balls. Dip in slightly beaten egg white and roll in finely chopped nuts (about 3/4 cup) or granulated sugar. Place on baking sheet and press thumb into center of each. Baker 10-12 minutes.

Fill cooled thumbprints with tinted confectioners' sugar icing, candied cherry, or jelly.