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Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until cold. Store leftovers tightly covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

MAKES ABOUT 45 COOKIES.

STRAWBERRY-CREAM CHEESE THUMBPRINTS

These sweet cookies are pretty-as-a-picture perfect, as welcome in a lunchbox as they are at a bridal shower. You can use the basic dough as a blueprint for your own thumbprint designs, varying the cake mix flavor and filling choice in endless permutations.

1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup (½ stick) butter, softened

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon almond extract

2/3 cup strawberry jam, stirred to loosen

Preheat oven to 350°F. Position oven rack to upper third of the oven. Set aside two ungreased cookie sheets.

Place the cake mix, flour, softened butter, and cream cheese in a large bowl. Blend for 1–2 minutes with an electric mixer set on low speed until mixture is blended and resembles fresh bread crumbs. Add the egg yolks and almond extract; beat on low speed for 1–2 minutes longer until dough comes together into a ball.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and position 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Push an indentation into the center of each cookie with your thumb, the back of a rounded ¼-teaspoon measuring spoon, or a cork. Fill each indentation with ¼ teaspoon jam.

Bake for 8–10 minutes or until firm to the touch at the edges and slightly puffed in appearance. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheets. Transfer to wire racks with metal spatula and cool completely.

MAKES ABOUT 42 COOKIES.

Variations:

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY THUMBPRINTS: Prepare as directed above but add ¾ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips to the dough along with the egg yolks.

PINEAPPLE COCONUT THUMBPRINTS: Prepare as directed above but use 1 teaspoon rum-flavored extract in place of the almond extract and add 2 teaspoons ground ginger to the dough. Roll dough balls in 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut, pressing to coat. Use pineapple preserves in place of the strawberry jam.

LEMON HEAVEN THUMBPRINTS: Prepare as directed above but use lemon cake mix in place of white cake mix, 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest in place of almond extract, and jarred lemon curd in place of jam.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY THUMBPRINTS: Prepare as directed above but use chocolate cake mix in place of white cake mix and seedless raspberry preserves in place of jam.

TART CHERRY-DATE SKILLET COOKIES

Need lots of treats in a hurry for a party or potluck? Here’s the solution. You don’t need to like dates to love these cookies. The dates create a brown sugar-butter complement to the tart dried cherries, making for a cookie to be enjoyed by all.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1 (8-ounce) package chopped dates

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 cups crisp rice cereal

1 cup chopped tart dried cherries or dried cranberries

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3½ cups sweetened flake coconut

Melt the butter in a large skillet; stir in the brown sugar and dates. Remove from heat. Stir in the egg; return to heat. Cook over medium heat for 4–6 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Remove from heat; stir in the cereal, dried cherries, vanilla, and 1 cup of the coconut until blended. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Place the remaining coconut in a shallow dish or pie plate. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls into 1-inch balls and roll in remaining coconut.

MAKES ABOUT 60 COOKIES.

TUSCAN CORNMEAL COOKIES

Cornmeal may seem an unusual cookie ingredient to most Americans, but it is a common dessert ingredient in Northern Italy. This sugar-coated cookie, with its rustic cornmeal crunch and citrus-rosemary infused flavor, is destined to turn questioners into converts.

Both hearty and heartwarming, these cookies are not-too-sweet companions to coffee or a terrific finish to any simple pasta dinner.

1 (16.5-ounce) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

¼ cup yellow or white cornmeal

2 tablespoons