CHOCOLATE-FILLED THIMBLE COOKIES

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
Chocolate Filling (recipe below)

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolk and vanilla; mix well; reserve egg white in refrigerator.

Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture; beat well. Shape dough into a ball; cover and chill 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Slightly beat reserved egg white; dip balls in egg white, and then roll in the nuts. Place 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press thumb in each ball of dough, leaving an indentation.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Spoon 1 tsp Chocolate filling into each cookie indentation.

CHOCOLATE FILLING:
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp shortening
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla

Combine chocolate chips and shortening in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until chocolate melts. Remove from heat and stir in corn syrup, water, and vanilla. Yield: 3/4 cup.

Yield: 3 dozen