Simple melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies become a delicacy when you use a dab of tart jam to turn them into Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies. These have long been a favorite dessert at our house because they are easy, inexpensive, and taste so good!

Last week, I needed to make a plate of food or desserts for a charity auction, but we were out of money and the kitchen was bare except for the pantry staples. These simple, easy cookies came to the rescue, providing a delicious plate for the auction. They take nothing more than butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, flour, and whatever jam you have on hand.

They are called thumbprint cookies because you roll the dough into a ball and put a thumbprint in the center to fill with jam. My son calls these "squish cookies," and takes great joy in providing "squishing" sound effects as I put my thumb into each one. Once they are cooked, he starts calling them "doughnut" cookies because of their shapes and the jelly in the middle.

You can also experiment with this recipe, substituting raspberry jam for other sorts of jams, jellies, and marmalades. I have tried it with raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry jams, and they all tasted great. Orange marmalade was also wonderful. Have fun!

This recipe is vegetarian and vegan if you use a vegan margarine.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

makes approximately 32 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups flour
• raspberry jam

Preparation Instructions:

1. First, leave the margarine or butter out to soften to room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius), and move the rack to the highest position.

3. Cream the vanilla into the butter or margarine. Then add the powdered sugar and cream it in too. Once it is well mixed, add the flour a little at a time and mix in. Stir until the dough has a smooth consistency.

4. Roll the dough into balls one inch in diameter. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet about two inches apart. Press your thumb into the center of each cookie, squishing it a bit and making a little well in the middle. (Do not press all the way through the ball, though!) Spoon a dab of raspberry jam into each well, filling it but taking care not to let them overflow.

5. Bake on the high rack for 12 minutes, or until just barely starting to brown at the edges.

6. Let cool on the pan for a minute, then transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature. Enjoy!

Store in an airtight container.