Pine Nut Thumbprints Food

ORANGE AND PINE NUT THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Place pine nuts in small bowl. In another small bowl, mix honey and orange juice until well blended. Set aside.
• In medium bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in orange peel, vanilla and egg yolk until well blended. On low speed, beat in flour and salt until dough begins to stick together.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. If necessary, flour hands for easier handling. Roll balls in honey mixture, then roll in pine nuts. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. With thumb, make indentation in center of each cookie.
• Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and edges are golden brown. Remove parchment paper with cookies from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Fill each cookie with 1/2 teaspoon marmalade. Remove cookies from paper.

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.

PINE NUT CRUMBLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Place the pine nuts in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until coarsely ground. Remove half of the nuts to a bowl and reserve. Add the cinnamon and sugar to the remaining nuts in the bowl of the processor and continue to process until finely ground, about the texture of cornmeal. Add the flour and process until combined. Add the mixture to the reserved pine nuts and toss to combine.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Pour the hot butter over the pine nut mixture and work in with a spatula. Sprinkle the salt over and work in. Pinch off pieces about the size of 2 tablespoons, roll into balls, then flatten slightly. Put a cute dimple in the top of each with your thumb. Place 1/2 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake on the center rack of the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm and lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

COFFEE AND MILK THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Make the milk jam: Whisk the milk and granulated sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl until dissolved. (The bowl should be at least 3 quarts to prevent the milk from overflowing.) Microwave 10 minutes, then stop and whisk. Microwave 10 more minutes, whisking halfway through. The mixture should be thick, bubbling and dark ivory in color. If it is still loose, continue microwaving in 1-minute intervals until thickened. Whisk in the vanilla until smooth. You should have about 1/2 cup; the mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Make the cookies: Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and ground coffee in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in two batches until just combined.
• Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. (If the dough is too soft to roll, refrigerate about 20 minutes.) Dip the tops of the dough balls in the turbinado sugar, then make a 1/2-inch indentation in the center of each with the handle of a wooden spoon. Place on a large plate and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚ F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the pans. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set around the edges (but not browned) and the centers are still soft, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and re-indent the center of each cookie with a 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon. Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon of the milk jam. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

SALTED CARAMEL-PRETZEL THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Put 1/4 cup pretzels in a resealable plastic bag and crush into coarse crumbs with a rolling pin.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks, honey, vanilla and fine salt in a medium bowl, then add to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour and pretzel crumbs and beat until just combined.
• Put the remaining 1 1/4 cups pretzels in the resealable bag and roughly crush with the rolling pin; spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough on top and roll into balls, pressing so the pretzels adhere. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets; make a deep indentation in each with your thumb. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until lightly golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Re-indent with the back of a teaspoon, if necessary. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Fill each indentation with dulce de leche and sprinkle with sea salt.

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.

PINEAPPLE THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, then the lemon juice. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low; mix in the dried pineapple, then the flour mixture until combined. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the crushed pineapple, cream cheese, the remaining 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, the vanilla and lemon zest in a bowl with a rubber spatula, breaking up any large pineapple pieces. Refrigerate until slightly firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls; arrange 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Indent each with the back of a floured 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon; brush with milk.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are slightly puffed, 10 to12 minutes. Remove from the oven andre-indent; spoon in the filling. Return to the oven until lightly browned, 6 to 8 more minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely. Top with dried pineapple.

PINEAPPLE-COCONUT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare dough from Easy Cut-Out Cookies recipe.
• Roll into 40 balls, using about 1 Tbsp. dough for each ball. Roll, 1 at a time, in coconut until evenly coated on all sides with coconut.
• Place, 1 inch apart, on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray. Use thumb to indent centers; fill with preserves, adding about 1/4 tsp. preserves to each indentation.
• Bake 13 to 15 min. or until coconut is lightly toasted. Cool 3 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.