Christmas Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine

½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

chopped nuts and coconut

Peanut M & Ms

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in egg yolk and vanilla extract. Stir in flour and salt to creamed mixture and mix till well blended.

Using about 1 tsp of dough, roll into 1 inch balls. Dip each ball into slightly beaten egg white. Roll in chopped nuts or shredded coconut. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and quickly press thumb gently on top of each cookie. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes more.

Cool on rack.

Fill each thumbprint with icing (mix confectioners’ sugar with vanilla and milk to make a glaze). Top with M & M's.

Yields: about 2 dozen.

I normally double the recipe. They freeze well, though if frozen with the candy on them, the colors change subtly, but not enough to bother me or our cookie plates.

http://princessdivamel.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-thumbprint-cookies.html