Our thumbprint cookies are always the star of our cookie trays! Now Good Housekeeping agrees!

Our thumbprints are voted Best in Connecticut in their best cookies by state!

These cookies are so easy to bake and so flexible. Enjoy them hundreds of ways: coat them with chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, coconut, chopped hazelnuts ( or leave them plain) and fill with raspberry, apricot, guava, mango or pineapple fillings. Just be sure the fillings are ovenproof. You can also fill them with nutella or lemon curd, just be sure to bake the cookies first, then fill.

Here's our recipe:

Thumbprint Cookies

½ pound unsalted butter, softened

½ cup sugar

2 eggs, separated

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

2 cups nuts, finely chopped ( walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or coconut)

1 cup jelly (oven proof, if available)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light. Add egg yolks and vanilla. Mix until blended.
3. Add salt and flour. Mix just until incorporated.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
5. In a small bowl, beat egg whites with a fork. Place chopped nuts in a separate bowl.
6. Dip balls into egg whites and then roll into nuts. Place balls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet spacing each about 2-inches apart.
7. Gently press the tops of balls to flatten slightly. With your index finger, ( or thumb!) make a hole in the center of each cookie.
8. Spoon or pastry bag about ½ teaspoon of jelly into the holes.
9. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
10. Remove from the oven.
11. Cool cookies on a wire cooling rack.

Yields: about 35 cookies.