No Bake Cherry Thumbprints Food

PINE NUT-CHERRY THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Break up the almond paste and put it in a large bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and salt. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until the mixture looks like fine crumbs, about 1 minute. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat in the egg white until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour until just combined.
• Scoop tablespoon-size balls of dough and roll in the pine nuts to coat. Arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared pan. Press a thin wooden spoon handle or chopstick into each ball to make a deep indentation in the center.
• Bake until the cookies are set around the edges but still soft in the center, 22 to 26 minutes. Re-indent the cookies with the back of a small measuring spoon while still warm. Fill with the cherry jam. Let the cookies cool completely on the pans.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, until easy to handle, 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1-1/4-in. balls. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg white until foamy. Place almonds in a separate shallow bowl. Dip balls in egg white; roll in almonds., Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with your thumb. Bake until edges are light brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks., In a small bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, cherry juice, butter and milk until smooth. Fill each cookie with 1/4 tsp. filling; top with 1 cherry. Drizzle with candy coating. Let stand until set.

NO-BAKE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Combine the gelatin with 2 tablespoons water in a small microwave-safe bowl and set aside to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Pulse the confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor into a fine powder. Add the cream cheese, lemon zest, vanilla and salt and pulse until smooth and creamy. Scrape out the mixture into a large bowl.
• Microwave the gelatin until melted, stirring as needed, about 30 seconds. Add the gelatin to the cream cheese mixture and stir thoroughly to combine. Spread out the mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, stem each strawberry and quarter lengthwise. Cut each quarter into 5 or 6 chunks.
• Put the graham cracker crumbs in a shallow bowl. Scoop level tablespoons of the cheesecake and roll into balls (dampen your hands with a little water to help). Coat the bottom half of each ball in crumbs, then press the top center in with your thumb to make an indentation. Put a piece of strawberry in each. Garnish each with a mint leaf if using. Store and serve the thumbprints in mini muffin liners. (These cookies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)

BAKE-SALE THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon 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 print with about 3/4 teaspoon of jam.
• Bake cookies until the edges are golden, about 15 minutes. (Rotate the pans, from top to bottom, about halfway through baking for even color.) Cool cookies on the baking sheets. Serve.
• Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

PUMPKIN THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; mist with cooking spray.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl; add the flour mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated.
• Drop tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 6 minutes, then remove from the oven and make an indentation in the center of each cookie with the back of a teaspoon. Return to the oven, switching the position of the pans, and bake until set, 4 to 6 more minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt; beat until incorporated. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip; pipe into the indentations. Dust with cinnamon.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and the granulated sugar until well blended.
• Add cocoa powder and beat until combined.
• Add egg and beat until mixed well.
• Add half of the flour and mix just until combined.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining flour until well blended (do not use mixer at this point or you will toughen the dough).
• Cover and chill at least 1 hour or until easy to handle.
• Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
• Fold in the chopped cherries; set aside.
• Form chilled cookie dough into 48 balls (1 inch in diameter each).
• Place about 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets, then gently press each ball with your thumb to make a dent.
• Fill each dent with 1 tsp of the filling, then top each with a cherry half, cut side down.
• Bake in a preheated 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until filling is set.
• Let cool 1 minute on pans, then remove to racks to cool completely.
• These must be stored in the refrigerator, but you may bring them to room temperature to serve; these freeze well.

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese, melted chocolate chips and Nutella until blended. Stir in cracker crumbs. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes., Shape mixture into 1-in. balls; roll in chopped hazelnuts. Make an indentation in the center of each with the end of a wooden spoon handle. Fill with a hazelnut. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

NO-BAKE CHERRY THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the dates, almonds, cocoa powder, salt, and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Add the cereal and pulse until just incorporated.
• Form the mixture in 1/2-inch (teaspoonful) balls and transfer to a wax paper-lined cookie sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Gently press a cherry into each ball. Refrigerate until firm.
• Tip: The thumbprints can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.