Chocolate Thumb-print Cookies

recipe taken from the back of Hershey's HUGS Kisses

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened

2/3 c. sugar

1 egg, separated

2 T. milk

1 t. vanilla extract

1 c. flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/4 t. salt

1 c. chopped nuts

26 Hershey's HUGS or KISSES

VANILLA FILLING:

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 T. softened butter or margarine

2 t. milk

1/4 t. vanilla extract

1. Beat butter, sugar, egg yolk, milk and vanilla in medium bowl until fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.

2. Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Shape dough until 1-inch balls. With fork, beat egg slightly. Dip each ball into egg white; roll in nuts. Place on sheet. Press thumb gently in center of each cookie.

3. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set. Meanwhile prepare the FILLING by beating all ingredients together until smooth. Remove wrappers from chocolate pieces. Remove cookies from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool 5 min. Spoon about 1/4 t. filling into each thumb-print. Gently press chocolate pieces in center of each cookie. Cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

e-notes:

My butter is salted and so I probably added less than 1/2 of what the recipe called for. I also used 1/2 the nuts b/c I only dipped 1/2 of the cookies since I know my kids aren't the biggest fans of nuts. The thumb-prints I made did not stay in the cookies while they baked. When I got them out, I had to re-do them - but that worked just fine. It was just a little hot making the prints then, but not a big deal. Also, for a valentiney-look I made my FILLING pink. I also used a baby spoon to scoop up the filling and just guessed on the 1/4 t. amount. Good stuff. My kids love me b/c I made these this morning.