Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies

Total Time: 52 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups finely chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 -3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 in a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on high speed until smooth, about 4 minutes.
• 3 add egg and extracts; mix well.
• 4 in another bowl, combine flour and pudding and add to the butter mixture.
• 5 stir in chocolate chips.
• 6 shape into 1-inch balls; roll in nuts.
• 7 place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.
• 8 make a thumbprint in center of each cookie and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
• 9 position a wire rack inside a large baking pan or over sheets of wax paper.
• 10 remove cookies from oven, place on wire rack to cool.
• 11 to prepare filling, in a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and confectioners' sugar on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• 12 stir in vanilla and milk; mix until combined and smooth.
• 13 spoon into center of cooled cookies.
• 14 leave cookies on rack to glaze.
• 15 to prepare glaze, in microwave oven or over very low heat, melt chocolate and shortening.
• 16 stir until smooth, taking care not to scorch the chocolate.
• 17 bunch cooled cookies together on cooling rack and drizzle chocolate over them in a very thin stream, crossing back and forth over cookies to form chocolate lace.
• 18 for simple drizzling, hold a small spoonful of chocolate about 6 inches above the rack; release a thin stream of chocolate as you move the spoon back and forth quickly over the cookies.