A favorite cookie treat to serve at such holidays as Christmas and Valentine's Day, thumbprint cookies are easy to make but also incredibly versatile. Because the filling can be almost anything, thumbprint cookies are easy to adapt to any occasion as well as to the tastes of whomever you might be planning on serving them to.

Thumprint cookies look pretty and taste great, and as such, make a great addition to any party, holiday or otherwise. The prep time for these delicious treats is minimal and the process to make them fairly simple, so even non-bakers should be able to make great thumbprint cookies. Read on to learn more about how to make thumbprint cookies.

Making thumbprint cookies calls for the following:

1. 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2. 2 3/4 cup flour, all purpose
3. 2 large egg yolks
4. 2 beaten egg whites
5. 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
6. 2 cups finely chopped and roasted nuts (pecans, almonds or walnuts work best)
7. 3/4 to 1 cup jam, flavor of your choice

After getting all of your ingredients assembled, following the below steps to make your cookies.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
2. Spread nuts out on a large flat dish or plate. Set aside for the time being.
3. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until they are creamy.
4. Add the almond extract and egg yolks and continue to mix until the mixture is light and a bit fluffy.
5. Add the flour one cup at a time. Mix until the flour is just incorporated, being careful not to leave any dry spots.
6. In a small separate bowl, whip your egg whites until they become foamy.
7. Measure out small balls of dough; approximately 1 1/4 inches.
8. Dip each ball in the egg whites, then shake off any excess.
9. Roll the egg-white coated ball in the nuts you put on the plate earlier.
10. Place on a greased cookie sheet, leaving space between each ball so they have room to spread as they cook.
11. Use your thumb to press an imprint into each cookie.
12. Fill the imprint with jam of your choice. This is generally about 1/4 teaspoon of jam.
13. Bake 10-14 minutes, or until the cookies do not yield to touch.
14. Cool before serving.

Thumbprint cookies taste much better if the nuts you roll them in are toasted first. In order to toast nuts, you can do the following:

1. Put whole or halved nuts on an ungreased cookie sheet.
2. Place in an oven heated to 350 degrees Farenheit for between 8-12 minutes. #Stir occasionally.
3. Remove once the nuts have turned light brown and fragrant.