Butterscotch Thumbprints

(A takeoff of the chocolate thumbprint recipe from the last blog entry)

There's a holiday air to these nut-rich cookies with their gay tinted centers.

1/2 cup soft shortening (part butter)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sifted bread flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350º.
Mix well shortening, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.
Mix flour and salt and stir in.
Roll 1 teaspoon dough into balls.
Dip in slightly beaten egg white and roll in finely chopped nuts (about 3/4 cup) or granulated sugar.
Place on baking sheet and press thumb into center of each.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
Fill cooled thumbprints with tinted confectioner's sugar icing, candied cherries, or jelly.

Makes about 3 dozen