Hussar Rounds (Hussaren Krapferl)- Thumbprint Cookies

Mom's Hungarian Hussar Round Christmas Cookies. A Grossman family staple for years.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 egg yolks
• 3-3.5 Cups white flour
• 1 egg white
• 3 Tbs. white blanched almonds, chopped
• 2 Tbs. jam, apricot, strawberry, blackberry or raspberry 

Garnish

• Powdered sugar

Cooking:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cream butter and sugar until smooth
3. Add lemon zest and vanilla 
4. Mix in egg yolks
5. Mix in flour 1/4 cup at a time, work in until dough is firm but not crumbly
6. With hands, roll spoonfuls of dough into 1 inch balls 
7. Place balls onto an 11x17 greased cookie sheet
8. Make small indentation in each ball with thumb, should create small fissures in the sides of the dough
9. Beat egg white and lightly brush rim of each cookies with egg white
10. Place a dab of jam in each cookie, should fill the thumb print
11. Sprinkle each cookie with almonds
12. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating cookie sheet half way through.
13. When cool, garnish with powdered sugar.