Thumbprint Cookies and Thrown Under Santa's Sleigh

Final shopping, prepping, baking, wrapping, errand running, cooking weekend before Christmas and what do my kids do?   They threw me under the proverbial sleigh.  We received my mom's boxes from Alaska full of beautiful gifts...and I do mean beautiful.

She spends days wrapping gifts.  Now I don't mean just throwing on some paper and a bow and calling it a day.  She actually coordinates the boxes and ribbons to match either the gift inside or to compliment the personality of the person that is getting it.  She truly puts a great deal of time and thought in her gifts.

That being said when the girls unpacked her boxes, the older ones says, "Wow, Grandma's presents are always so beautiful and decorated perfectly".  In my mind I heard..."Mom you are the worst present wrapper in the world".  I swear that's what she said!!  Did she really just say that?   Did I just get thrown under the sleigh?  At that moment, I wanted to retrieve all of their presents from under the tree and take them back and let them get coal in the stockings instead... how pretty is that now??!!

Instead, being the loving, gracious mother that I am, I went to my neighborhood Dollar Tree store and stocked up on the most beautiful, pretty, decorative, ribbons, bows and adornments to do their remaining gifts in.

The thing is, my mom trained me to wrap presents, I was mentored by the best, the "Queen of Curling Ribbon".  Then I started in high school volunteering wrapping gifts at the malls for charity and fundraisers.  I think after all these years I just got lazy...well, I got this now.  I can step up my game again and I have realized that it's time to teach the next generation Grandma's talents.

In her special delivery boxes also, are her incredible Thumbprint Cookies.  She has been making me these for years and doesn't matter where I am, she makes sure that I have my own box every Christmas.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Compliments of Grandma

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup raspberry preserves or jelly of your choice

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Shape dough into 1-in. balls; roll balls in egg white, then in nuts. Place 2 in. apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray (or lined with parchment paper). Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. While warm, fill each with a teaspoonful of preserves. Cool completely.