HUSSARN GRAPSEN: Jelly Thumbprints

An Austrian recipe - won 2nd place in the Chicago Tribune cookie contest around 2005. (Delicate lemon flavor, lovely cookie. Recipe given to me by Corina Hossu.)

4 sticks butter, softened

6 egg yolks, room temperature

1 c sugar

4 c flour

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 t salt

3 T favorite jelly or preserves

1. Heat oven to 350. Combine butter, yolks, and sugar in large bowl. Beat with mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Reduce speed to low and beat in flour, zest and salt just until blended.

2. Roll scant teaspoonfuls of dough into tiny balls; place on lightly greased baking sheets. Make indentations with a small melon baller or fingertip/thumb, being careful not to poke through the dough ( I would add here also be careful not to "crack" the edges or jelly will "escape")

3. Fill indentations with jelly. Bake until edges begin to lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from sheet to wire rack and cool about 30 minutes.

Notes from Corina Hossu: I never did the whole recipe - whenever I made this, I made half and it was plenty. I use a small (1t) cookie dough scooper - and this makes them nice and even, and I get about 58 of them, which is plenty. The recipe stated that preparation time is 45 mins, cooking time 15 mins per batch, cooling time is 30 mins and it yields 68 cookies (so I assume theirs are rather big, twice the size I make).