Here's a couple thumbprint cookies that are tried & true. Imake them every year. Chocolate Caramel Treasures Cookie type: formed These are another variation of thumbprint cookie. This recipe came from Gourmet Magazine, December 1999. Ingredients For the cookies: 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 2/3 cup sugar 1 egg yolk 1 teas vanilla 1 cup flour 2 tbsp whole milk 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teas salt 1 egg white, lightly beaten 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts For the filling: 10 (1 x 1/2 inch) plain caramels, 2 tbsp heavy cream For the drizzle: 3 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped Directions For the cookies: Beat together butter, yolk, milk, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. Sift in flour, cocoa, and salt and mix until mixture forms a dough. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls, then coat with egg white, and roll in nuts. Place balls 1 1/2 inches apart on a greased baking sheets. Press your thumb into center of the balls to flatten, leaving a depression. Bake until puffed slightly but centers are still soft, 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press centers of cookies again with a spoon. Let cool. Make the filling while cookies are cooling. Heat caramels and cream in a small sauce pan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and mixture is smooth. Spoon into centers of cookies and cool completely. Make chocolate drizzle one hour before serving. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Cool to warm and pour into a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. Seal bag and snip 1 corner to form a small hole. Drizzle chocolate over cookies and let stand until set, about 30 minutes. *I never bother with the drizzle. I also usually use walnuts and not hazelnuts. ***************** Austrian Jam Cookies Cookie type: formed My mom originally got the recipe out of a magazine years ago. I don’t know what magazine. These cookies nowadays go by the name thumb print cookies. I like to call them Austrian Jam cookies because they sound more sophisticated that way. I usually double the batch. A single batch will make about 15-18 cookies. A double batch, you will get closer to 3 dozen. Ingredients 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened (not melted) 1/2 cup sugar 1 teas vanilla* 1 egg, separated 1 1/4 cup sifted flour 2/3 cup chopped almonds** your favorite flavor of jam Directions Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla and egg yolk in a medium bowl until fluffy. Stir in flour. Gather dough into a ball, cover and chill for several hours. Roll level teaspoonful of dough into balls. Dip the ball into a slightly beaten egg white. Roll the ball into the almonds. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Space cookies 1 inch apart. These cookies will not spread very much. Press an indentation with your thumb in the middle of the cookie, careful not to go all the way through to the pan. Fill with jam. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. *Almond extract can be used in place of real vanilla. ** Generally, I think the almonds are a little too hard for the rest of the cookie. I usually use walnuts or pecans. I like using Polaners preserves for the jam centers. I have also used Smuckers as well as homemade jam.

Maxmom, A few months ago I had pull-out shelves installed in the lower cabinets! DH doesn't understand why those pullouts got me so excited. But prior to that I struggled with those nasty half shelves as you can see below. I added an extra half shelf to every cabinet so I wouldn't waste head space. How I dealt with that was labeled bins; still had to stand on head but if I put the bins back in order, then I could reach in without looking and pull out the correct bin. When I got the pullouts, I completely reorganized and Freecycled about 33% of the items in the cabinets. Boy it feels great. In fact I have invited a soon to be college student to come over for lunch and pick through what I didn't Freecycle. I think she will appreciate some of the high-end stuff because she loves to cook.

Pies are made when the time allows. This year I didn't work Wednesday so that was pie day. If I had worked I may have started earlier and made one each night..When ever I make them they will be "FRESH"! Pie/cake dessert is FRESH until it's cut in to! hahahahah But then I am a do what can be done ahead kind a gal. Last week we baked a turkey--stuffed so my stuffing is done and my gravy fixings ready. The mashed potatoes casserole is done and frozen at least a week early. Cranberries--two kinds were made Monday. All there is to do today is the fresh fruit salad and DH will grill/smoke the turkey we will serve. The daughters are all bringing the rest--done before they got here earlier this week. I have soup and pulled pork done and waiting for the meals for the rest of the weekend. I made an egg bake and over night oats and a variety of sweet breads for breakfasts. My kitchen is too small, cooking is too messy and time consuming to do it while company is underfoot.

cc, I use this one, and I use my own homemade raspberry jam, but the other layer is usually peach instead of apricot because I don't grow apricots, LOL. Italian Rainbow Cookies 4 large eggs 1 cup sugar 3-1/2 ounces almond paste, cut into small pieces 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup butter, melted and cooled 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 6 to 8 drops red food coloring 6 to 8 drops green food coloring 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam 1/4 cup apricot jam GLAZE: 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon shortening Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar 2-3 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add almond paste; mix well. Gradually add flour, butter, salt and extract. Divide batter into thirds. Tint one portion red and one portion green; leave remaining portion plain. Spread one portion into each of three well-greased 11x7-in. baking dishes. Bake 7-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and edges begins to brown. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Place red layer on waxed paper; spread with 2 tablespoons jam. Top with plain layer and remaining jam. Add green layer; press down gently. For glaze, in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Spread half over green layer. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until set. Turn over; spread remaining glaze over red layer. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until set. With a sharp knife, trim edges. Cut rectangle lengthwise into fourths. Cut each portion into 1/4-in. slices. Have fun! Annie