Elle's Kitchen: Polish Thumbprint Cookies

I Love to Bake!

The Holiday baking begins with Polish

Thumbprint Cookies,  an easy

cookie that looks impressive.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teas. baking powder

1/4 teas. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 large egg

1/2 teas. almond extract

1 cup finely chopped blanched almonds

apricot and raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly butter baking pans.

In a medium bowl, stir together

flour, baking powder & salt.

Set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer

set at medium-high, beat together butter,

sugar and honey until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg and the the almond

extract.  In 3 additions, beat in the  flour

mixture, mixing well after each addition.

Shape the dough into balls that are

about 1" in diameter.  Roll each ball

in the chopped almonds until coated

and place 1 1/2" apart on baking sheet.

Use your knuckle or your thumb to make

a deep indentation in the center of each

cookie.  Fill each indentation with 1/2 teas.

of the preserves.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies

turn golden.  Cool for 2 to 4 minutes and

transfer to a wire rack with a metal spatula

and cool completely.

When cool, store cookies in an airtight

container with waxed paper between the

layers.  They freeze well.

I serve them with a light

dusting of confectioners sugar.