Caramel Apricot Thumbprint Cookies

By Hklbrries

Prep time: 40 minutes

Cook time: 17 minutes

Ingredients

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 Crisco butter-flavor shortening stick, cut into slices or 1 cup Crisco butter-flavor shortening
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup Smucker's caramel topping
• 1/2 cup Smucker's apricot preserves

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from smuckers.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350 F. Adjust rack to middle position. Coat two cookie sheets lightly with non-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 the flour on low speed until well blended.

Beat egg whites in a shallow bowl until foamy. Place the pecans in a shallow bowl.

Measure about two teaspoons dough for each cookie. Form dough into balls by rolling between your palms. Dip each dough ball into the egg whites, then roll into the pecans and place on the 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 creat the indentation once again with a spoon. Place about 1/2 teaspoon caramel topping into the indentation of each cookie. Then place about 1/2 teaspoon preserves on top of the caramel.

Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for several minutes, then remove to cooling rack.