Thumbprint Cookies (and Trio Style)

I made these cookies for my holiday cookie exchange.

Thumbprint Cookies (and Trio style)

Equipment: a 1/2-inch-thick wooden spoon handle or dowel

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

About 2 tablespoons blackberry preserves

About 2 tablespoons apricot preserves

About 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves

(preserves can be other choice flavors)

Chopped nuts (optional)

Make dough:

Whisk together flour and salt. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until very pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes, then beat in egg and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms.  Divide dough in half and form each piece into a 6-inch disk, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.

Assemble cookies and bake cookies:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll 3 separate level teaspoons of dough each into a ball, then flatten each ball slightly (to 1 inch wide and less than 1/2 inch thick). Arrange them in a triangle on baking sheet with edges touching in center, then make a deep indentation in center of each round with wooden spoon handle. Make more cookies, arranging them 1 inch apart on baking sheets.

Fill indentations in each cookie with about 1/88 teaspoon, avoiding any large pieces of fruit.

To make Trios:

Bake until cookies are baked through and golden-brown on edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Bake more batches on cooled baking sheets lined with fresh parchment.

Cook's notes:

· Dough can be chilled up to 2 days. · Cookies keep, layered between sheets of parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.