Festive Thumbprint Cookies as the Twelve Days of Christmas Treats Continues with More Giveaways!

Holiday greetings from chilly Texas!

Yes, with Christmas only five days away, Texas has been plunged into the deep freeze. Okay, for all of you who live north of the Red River, stop laughing. I know the Texas meaning of cold can differ greatly from yours, however our temperatures tumbled into the teens over the weekend. And I don't care where you live, sixteen degrees is cold!

Of course, Christmas wouldn't be the same without all those twinkling lights. So we decided to take a drive last night to see the Red Tree. The homeowner lights one tree every year but, boy, does he do it in a big way.

Is that not a beautiful site?

However, a couple of houses down, we saw another tree dripping in lights.

Wow!

The only way to top that is with some yummy holiday treats and the cookie I'm going to share with you today is one of my faves.

There are several reasons I love these cookies. First, the dough is buttery, so it has a nice texture. Second, they're coated in pecans and I LOVE pecans. Lastly, the little dollop of jelly is such a festive and delicious addition.

Here's what you'll need for these yummy treats:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 tsp. almond extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Red currant jelly (if you can't find red currant jelly, seedless raspberry is a good substitute)

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well.

Add egg yolks.

And almond extract, 

beating until blended.

Next, combine your flour, salt and cinnamon.

And gradually add to the butter mixture, 

Blending on low speed until fully incorporated.

Cover and chill dough for one hour.

After you've wrapped a few presents or danced to some Christmas tunes,

preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Shape chilled dough into 1 inch balls.

Lightly beat your egg whites, then dip each ball into the egg white

And roll in pecans.

Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Now, press your thumb into each cookie to make an indentation.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Cool 1 minute on baking sheets. Press centers again while cookies are still warm.

Fill center of each cookie with jelly.

The red currant jelly really is a nice touch. A little more tart, but still plenty sweet.

Yes, this is the week when holiday baking kicks into high gear. The week that you go through more butter and sugar than the entire rest of the year. But hey, it's Christmas, so why not splurge.

Now it's time for a giveaway.

This week, I'm giving away a copy of 'Tis the Season, a kid-friendly cookbook

AND

a copy of my latest release, Falling for the Hometown Hero.

Because let's face it, heroes are fun no matter what the season.

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered. Let's talk about Christmas lights. Do you enjoy going out to look at them? What's your preference, colored or clear?

In closing, I'd like to wish each and every one of you a blessed and Christ-filled Christmas.

It's easy to get caught up in all the hoopla of the season, but lest we forget THE REASON for the season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL!

Mindy Obenhaus lives in Texas with her husband and kids. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com.