Food for the Holidays: Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

My mother is an amazing baker of cookies, cakes and brownies, etc. One of the lighter confections that she makes are Jelly Thumbprint Cookies.

When they are done, you take each one and you want to pop the whole thing in your mouth and let it melt. I am getting hungry just thinking about them.

Ingredients needed:
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup strawberry preserves (or any other type of jelly)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat margarine, brown sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until light and creamy. At low speed add flour and salt and mix until evenly moistened.
2. With hand, press dough together to form a ball. Shape dough by rounded teaspoon into 1-in balls. Place balls, 1 in apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake cookies 5 minutes.
3. Working quickly, remove cookie sheet from oven and with end of wooden spoon, make small indentation in the center of each ball. Return to oven and bake cookies 8 minutes longer or until lightly browned.
4. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining balls. When cookies are cool, fill each indentation with a rounded 1/4 teaspoon jam. If not serving right away, allow jam to set, then store cooies, with waxed paper between layers, in tightly overed container up to a week.