PECAN THUMBPRINT COOKIES

These buttery thumbprint cookies have been a favorite of ours for years. We used to put together plates of Christmas goodies and deliver them to our neighbors, and these colorful treats were always featured. Only recently did I experiment with the original recipe to see if a healthier version could be just as tasty … and amazingly it is!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl with an electric hand-held mixer, cream together:

12 Tbsp Earth Balance Natural Buttery sticks (¾ cup)

½ cup maple sugar*

½ cup Wax Orchards Fruit Sweet

2 tsp almond extract

3. Stir in until well blended:

2½ cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

4. Shape dough into round balls the size of small walnuts. Dip each ball into:

½ cup soy milk

… and then roll in:

1-1½ cups pecans, finely chopped

5. Place on cookie sheet 2" apart and press thumb deeply into center of each cookie.

6. Bake in preheated oven with timer set for 5 minutes. When timer goes off, switch racks and bake an additional 5 minutes (do not over-bake).

7. If indention has filled in while baking, immediately re-indent with spoon. Remove from cookie sheets and let cool.

8. Meanwhile, mix together:

¾ cup Wax Orchards Only Fruit Strawberry Spread 

1 cup fresh strawberries, diced

9. If you’re planning to serve these cookies right away (or give them as a gift), fill the thumbprint indention with a teaspoon of the fruit mixture.

If you’re hoping to make these last for a few days, freeze the cookies and keep the fruit filling in a separate container in the refrigerator. Fill cookies as needed. Yields 30-32 cookies.

NOTE: If maple sugar is coarse and hard, process it in a blender for a few seconds.