Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookie

 I will link this to The International Christmas Cookie Party at Johanna's blog Silber + Rosen.   Go and join her for more fantastic cookies.

 I will credit my Aunt AJ for this recipe.  She has taken the thumbprint cookie and given it a twist with cream cheese.  At first bite it is something like a cheesecake thumbprint.  It has the crunch of the toasted nuts, the sweetness on top of the icing; which she has also put cream cheese in.  Then the cookie which has a softer texture and taste just like cheesecake.  Try this recipe and you just might not go back to the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter or margarine ( don't use low fat- 70% fat or more)

1 cup of sugar

1/2 TSP salt

3 ounces of cream cheese

1/2 TSP vanilla

1 egg yolk (save the white)

2 1/4 cup flour

 *butter, egg, and cream cheese mix best at room temperature.

 Filling:

1 cup crushed nuts (walnuts or pecans are what I have used)

1 and 1/2 ounces of cream cheese

About 1 cup of powdered sugar

2 0r 3 drops of vanilla

food coloring of choice

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix, butter, sugar, cream cheese, salt, vanilla, and egg yolk together.  Then add flour.  (AJ mixes this with a fork and then her hands.  Mixer makes it too fluffy.)  Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.  Roll into 1 inch balls.  Beat the egg white until frothy roll the balls in this and then roll the balls in the crushed nuts to coat. Place on cookie sheet.  Bake them for 5 minutes and then using a 1/4 TSP press an indention in each one.  Bake for 4 minutes more.  Let cool. 
For icing use about 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 1/2 oz. of  cream cheese, and enough milk to make it moist.  Color it desired color.  The easiest way to put the filling in, is to use a pastry tip and bag.   Squeeze into "thumbprints".  Let set, store in air tight container.
YIELDS: 2 dozen

I am posting this cookie recipe from last year.  My blog was just a few weeks old when I posted this and no one read it and I had no idea where to post it.  This is one of my favorite Christmas cookies, I hope you enjoy it. 

Sherry