Pistachio Thumbprints

This recipe is from Eat Cake for Dinner, however I put my mom's homemade cream cheese icing recipe on them! I made these cookies last year for Christmas and they are a new family favorite around the holidays! I think the cream cheese icing really makes these come alive. I have drizzled dark chocolate on some of them for an added flavor. It's like a chocolaty, nutty cream sensation! I've also done cranberries in the middle for a more tart and tasty treat. I've changed some of the recipe to include my notes and tips, but I hope you love these as much as I do! I also have a Banana Walnut recipe copied from this I made on my own, They're also out of this world!!

Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies:

1 c. unsalted butter, softened 1/3 c. powdered sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. almond extract 1 (3.4 oz.) box instant pistachio pudding mix 2 c. all-purpose flour 2 c. finely chopped pecans, for rolling Cream Cheese Icing: 1/2 unsalted butter, softened 3 oz. cream cheese 2 c. powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla a little milk, only if needed Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

For the Cookies: Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix until combined.  Add the flour and dry pudding mix and mix until combined.  I use a watermelon scoop to get my dough balls and then I roll them to smooth it out. Then, roll in chopped pecans, sugar, or sprinkles.  I highly suggest the pecans, but the others are good options for those who don't enjoy nuts. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  I use a round old fashioned clothes pin to push the holes in my cookies, but you can use the bottom of a round teaspoon or your thumb and press into the top center of each dough ball.  My oven cooks quickly, so I baked for 8-9 minutes. The original recipe called for 10-11 minutes. Remove from oven and press into the top again, When you bake the cookies, the indent fills in a little.  I got around 40 cookies, I think mine were smaller than the original recipe because I used the watermelon scoop, so I got more out of it.

For the Filling:  Let the cream cheese sit out to soften. Stir in the softened butter until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until very creamy.  I then used a mixer because it was very thick and I think it mixed the icing more thoroughly. If mixture is too thick, you can add a little bit of milk until it reaches desired consistency.  Divide filling between cooled cookies and drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.  Store cookies in the refrigerator until ready to serve.