Thumbprint cookies

Ingredients:
Butter ( salted )- 113 gms or 1/2 cup ( room temperature),

White granulated sugar ( powdered )- 1/4 cup or 50 gms,
Egg -1 -separated,
Vanilla- 1/2 tsp,
All purpose flour or maida- 1 cup or 130 gms ( sifted ),
Almonds- 3/4 cup or 80 gms,
Raspberry jam or any tart jam of your liking- 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Method-
Roast the almonds in 180 C for 8 to 10 minutes in the oven.
Let it cool  and then coarsely chop them with your chef knife or grind them in a mixer.Be careful not make them into powder if grinding in the mixer.
Separate the egg.
Keep aside the egg white for coating the cookie balls.

In bowl of your mixer,beat the butter till smooth.

Add the sugar and beat till light and fluffy.( 2 to 3 minutes)

Add the egg yolk and vanilla essence and beat until combined.

Add the flour to the batter and beat until just combined.Gather the sides to the center.

The batter is too soft to roll into balls so cover with a foil and keep in the fridge for half hour to firm up.

Use a tablespoon for making even size ball or 1 inch ball,make 20 balls.

Roll each ball using both your palms and make round shape and keep aside.

Pre heat oven to 350 F or 180 C.
Line your baking tray with butter paper.
Whisk the egg in a small bowl till frothy and place the coarsely chopped nuts in another bowl.
Dip each ball in the beaten egg using a fork and then roll them in the nut bowl.

Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet spacing one inch apart.

Using your thumb make indentation into the center of each cookie.
The indentation should be half way through.
Do not press too hard as the dough is soft.
You can press together the sides if it breaks.

Mix the jam and using a tsp,fill each cookie with 1/4 or 1/2 tsp of jam.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cookies are set and the nuts are nicely browned.
Remove from oven and let it cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the butter paper.( can be easily removed form the butter paper)
Place the cookies on wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies are very crisp and the added taste of nuts with raspberry jam is too good.

Makes 20 cookies.