Polish Tea Cookies

Better known as thumbprint cookies, these may be filled with jams, preserves, and even chocolate.

makes: 3-1/2 dozen

⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
zest from ½ orange
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup ground almonds
jam

Heat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and orange zest. Gradually add in flour. Roll dough into walnut size balls and roll in the ground almonds. Place on cookie sheets about 2" apart. With your thumb, make indentation in center of each cookie. Fill each indentation with a little jam. Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on cookie sheet 1 minute then transfer cookies to wire racks.