Oh, it’s our favorite time of year — holiday baking season! And this year, friends, I did something I’ve never attempted before: a full, day-long cookie marathon. Pros: everything got done in one glorious, sugar-dusted swoop. Cons: by the end, my feet felt like I’d run a 5K through the kitchen.

But let’s talk cookies. These little thumbprints have been a staple for years — my mom’s favorite, which automatically means they must make an appearance on the holiday tray. They’re wonderfully simple, beautifully soft, and just fancy enough thanks to that jam filling and snowy sprinkle of white chocolate.

Let’s Bake!

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir cookie mix, pudding, oil and egg until a dough forms.
• Shape into one inch balls.
• On a parchment lined baking sheet, place balls two inches apart.
• Using your thumb, make a little well in the middle of each cookie.
• Spoon in a bit of jam into each indentation (a half teaspoon is about right).
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
• Cool a minute, sprinkle with the white chocolate, then place on a baking rack to cool completely.

Simple, pretty, and just a little bit special. That’s my kind of holiday baking. Plus they always remind me of Mom!

What’s your favorite holiday cookie? And are you team baking marathon? Let us know!

Eat well friends!

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* for some reason, I’ve had several holidays where this has been hard to find. I have used the sugar-free cheesecake flavor in a pinch with great results

** You can either chop the chocolate coarsely or if you’re feeling fancy (which I was because this was only batch one), shave it finely using a microplane grater.