Thumb Print Cookies

I realize it's already way past Christmas, but I've been celebrating and spending time with family! We took a semi-family (we were missing my beautiful sister Jessica, she will be arriving in a few days!) trip down to central Taiwan. I even took a mochi-making class while I was down there! And of course, during my six hour train ride, I took the opportunity to plan the many posts that will be coming up. These "Thumb Print Cookies" are the first of a series...all explaining exactly what went into that lil Christmas box of love that I sent out to my loved ones a few days before the big day. When deciding what I'd put in these boxes, I had tons of ideas...bf helped me out quite a bit! My list changed several times:
Decorated Sugar Cookies
Jelly Sandwich Cookies
Thumb-Print Cookies
Dipped Shortbread
Rum Balls
Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Raspberry Oatmeal Squares
Peppermint Brownies

Today, I'll start off with the Thumb-Print Cookies. I made these two days before the box deliveries - they were made first because cookies tend to be more resilient when it comes to baking ahead. Because of the water-logged air in Taiwan, I was still pretty nervous about baking them ahead of time, but again, Press-and-Seal proved to work wonders and kept the cookies tasting fresh! Another thing about these cookies, don't drop the dollop of jelly until the day you serve them as it will be absorbed into the cookie and make them a bit soggy. Trials and tribulations....I've been experiencing this for the past several weeks (remember those egg whites for the macarons...let's just say I'm STILL trying) and it all began with these Thumb Prints. I wanted to coat the cookies in coconut, and for some reason I read that it was better to toast the coconut beforehand to release the aroma of the ingredient - similar to how you would toast almonds or pecans before using them. I perched eagerly by the oven (usual position, I will make a sketch one day if you're lucky), tossing and watching for browning. You just want to get the coconut so it has a bit of a golden color, and MAN it smelled great. You'll know when it's working. Okay, well everything was going smoothly up until then. There I was in the kitchen, cookie dough in one bowl, plate full of toasted coconut in another, feeling oh-so-prepared to create a wonderfully delicate looking cookie (shredded coconut is so much prettier than chopped nuts, no?). A few minutes into the oven, aforementioned toasted coconut was getting the Lindsay Lohan treatment. A few more minutes after that, most of the coconut shreds had pulled a reverse Michael Jackson on me. Yes, I read gossip blogs every morning when I wake-up, I need to stay informed so I can make umm...colorful descriptions and analogies on my cooking blog. In a word: FAILED. This will be the first of many other failures that I will illustrate to you on this fine blog of truth. Ended up toasting some pecans, chopping them up, and rolling the cookie dough in the nuts. Boo. No fun.
177C

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg -separate whites and yolk (room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup toasted pecans (chopped finely)
1/2 cup jam

1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
   
2. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Is this getting repetitive?
   
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. By now I trust you all have become loyal sifters like myself?
4. Add the flour mixture to the batter and beat just until combined.
   
5. If the batter too soft to roll into balls, refrigerate for about 30 minutes. I hate waiting.
6. Time to prepare your work area! You will now begin the process of spooning, rolling, dipping, rolling, pressing. Just to clarify...in a small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Place the chopped nuts on a plate. Roll the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls. Taking one ball of dough dip first into the egg white and then roll in the nuts. So much fun!
   
7. Space each cookie 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Using your thumb make a indentation into the center of each cookie and fill with about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of jam. If you're baking ahead, skip adding the jam and wait until the day you serve to fill up those lil wells.
8. Bake for about 13-15 minutes, or until cookies are set and the nuts have nicely browned.