Italian Holiday Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, one stick-room temp
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, separated
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 5 Tbsp jam

Directions

1. Start with butter that has softened to room temperature. Beat the butter with the sugar, using a mixer if you like or a fork if that’s what you’ve got, until the mixture looks pale yellow and soft.
2. Separate the egg, saving the white for later. Add the yolk to the butter and sugar mixture, then add the vanilla extract and beat everything together again.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour and salt. Once they are blended, add them to the butter mixture and stir until the cookie dough is evenly combined. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
4. Once the dough has chilled, place parchment paper on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into pieces that are approximately 1 tablespoon each, then roll them into balls.
5. Put the shredded coconut in a bowl. Dip each dough ball into the reserved egg white, coat it with coconut, and set it on the baking sheet. Press your finger into the top of each one to make a dent, then spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation.
6. Bake the cookies in the 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the coconut is golden brown at the edges. Let the cookies cool so they can firm up, then they are ready.