Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Raspberry-filled, fragile, buttery pecan-crusted cookies. They remind me of a miniature pie in flavor and looks. They are a delicious cookie any time of the year, but especially perfect for the holiday season. Other fillings can be used; any jelly, jam, candied fruit or tinted powdered sugar icing. Our family favorite is raspberry jam.

Original recipe makes 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (such as Crisco®)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 (8 ounce) jar raspberry jam, or as needed

PREP

30 mins
COOK

10 mins
READY IN

40 mins

Directions

Beat butter, vegetable shortening, and brown sugar together in a bowl until smooth and creamy; beat in egg yolks and vanilla extract. Retain egg whites for a later step. Stir flour into butter mixture 1 cup at a time; mix in salt.
Beat egg whites in a separate bowl; transfer pecans to a shallow bowl. Pinch off and roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip each in beaten egg white, and roll in pecans. Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Use your thumb to form an indention into the top of each cookie and spoon a small amount of raspberry jam into the hollow.
Bake cookies in the preheated oven until very lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.