Festive Thumbprints Food

PEANUT BUTTER THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 375 degrees F.
• COMBINE brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer; beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg just until blended.
• COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat into peanut butter mixture at low speed just until blended.
• SHAPE dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• BAKE 6 minutes. Immediately press centers of cookies with back of measuring teaspoon. Bake 3 minutes longer or until cookies are set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet.
• SPOON preserves into center of each cookie. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.

SUNNY'S HOLIDAY PB AND J THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, and blend on medium-high speed until creamy. Turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl, pushing everything back towards the center. Then add the salt, vanilla and egg, and blend until combined. Lower the speed of the mixer and add the flour in 1/2-cup intervals. Between each addition be sure to completely blend in all the flour and scrape the sides as before. Once completely combined, scrape the dough out of the mixer, add to a container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and, using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and roll into a ball between your hands. Then roll the formed ball in the turbinado sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat for the rest of the balls, making sure to separate them on the sheet by about 1 inch. Try chopping roasted peanuts and adding them to the sugar before rolling out all the balls or add a drop of food coloring to the sugar to make the cookies even more festive!
• Once all the balls are on the baking sheet, make an indentation in the center of each using the rounded end of a wooden spoon, the back of a rounded teaspoon or your good old-fashioned thumb. Fill the center of each with about 1/2 teaspoon strawberry preserves. Bake until lightly golden, about 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack. Let cool before serving.

BUTTER AND JAM THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
• In another bowl, whip the butter and the sugar with a hand-held mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing just until incorporated.
• Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls with a cookie or ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about 1/2-inch deep. Fill each indentation with about 3/4 teaspoon jam.
• Bake cookies until the edges are golden, about 15 minutes. (For even color, rotate the pans from top to bottom about halfway through baking.) Cool cookies on the baking sheets. Serve.
• Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

FESTIVE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C.) Line a baking tray with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a food processor pulse the pecan pieces until finely chopped. Transfer to a small shallow bowl; set aside. Lightly beat the egg white until frothy in a separate small shallow bowl; set aside.
• In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt several times to combine. Add butter, egg yolk, and vanilla; blend until smooth dough forms, scraping down the sides several times.
• Shape dough into 1 Tbsp (15 mL) sized balls. Roll in egg white then chopped pecans. Place 2" (5 cm) apart on prepared baking tray. Bake in centre of preheated oven for 5-6 minutes.
• Remove cookies from oven; cool 1 minute. Using thumb or the back of a wooden spoon, indent the top of each cookie. Spoon a heaped ½ tsp (2 mL) preserves into each indent. Bake 16-18 minutes longer or until cookies are set. Cool completely on the tray before serving.
• Store cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.