On the Fourth Day of Christmas

On the Fourth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me
Four calling birds
Three French Hens
Two turtle doves
And the Best Ever Rum Balls recipe

Chocolate Thumbprints

Yield 3 dozen cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans, finely ground

36 Pecan Halves

Chocolate Filling:
7.5 ounces dark/bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Garnish:
Lightly toast 36 lightly toasted pecan halves. (To toast pecans, spread on baking sheet).
Bake in a pre heated 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.

Make the chocolate thumbprints:
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with vegetable cooking spray.
3. Mix together flour and salt.
4. Stir together cocoa powder and oil in small bowl until thoroughly blended.
5. Beat butter in mixing bowl until creamy, using electric mixer at low speed. Gradually add sugar and continue beating at medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until blended.
6. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and cocoa mixture. Gradually beat in flour mixture just until mixed, using low speed.
7. Place ground pecans in small bowl. Place egg whites in another small bowl and beat with fork until frothy.
8. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Coat each ball with egg white and pecans. Place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Using your thumb, press a deep indentation into center of each ball, making balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until no imprint remains after touching lightly with finger. Remove cookies from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

Fill the cookies:
Place chocolate in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds more or until chocolate is softened. Stir until smooth and let cool. Fill each cookie with melted chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes and then place a pecan half in the center.

Jam Thumbprints

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbs. water
7 oz. sweetened coconut
jam (raspberry, apricot, mixed berry...)

Using your mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter. Mix until the dough starts to come together.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and form into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.


Roll the dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in the coconut. Place the balls on a cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each one with your finger. Fill each indentation with 1/4 tsp. of jam.


Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes. The coconut should be golden brown.

Pumpkin Butter Thumbprints

1 cup + 2 Tbsp whole pecans
1 cup all purpose flour
1 stick of butter
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp of vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
Pumpkin butter (or your favorite jam or apple butter)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a food processor process the nuts until they resemble coarse cornmeal. Do not over process otherwise you'll end up with pecan butter. Then add the sugar, salt, and flour to the nuts and pulse a few more times until there are no distinguishable pieces of nuts.

Cream the butter with a hand or stand mixer then add the extract and mix. Add the processed pecans and flour and mix until the dough comes together.

Scoop about 1 1/2 teaspoons balls of dough. I use a 1-tablespoon cookie dough scooper and break up the dough in half for 1 1/2 teaspoons. Roll the dough into a ball and press an indentation in the center of cookie with your finger (my thumb is too big so I used my index finger) or the back of a wooden spoon (this might be a little small so you'll have to make the indentation a little bigger). Space the cookies about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, they will be lightly colored but not too brown.

Wait until the cookies are completely cool then dust them lightly with powdered sugar. Then fill the centers with pumpkin butter or jam. You may need to warm the pumpkin butter or jam so you can fill the cookies. The filling will set as it cools.

Praline Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
powdered sugar

Melt butter and add sugars, egg, flour and vanilla. Mix well. Add pecans and drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 375 8-10 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes and dust with powdered sugar. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.