Cream sugars and margarine. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well, set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix in dates and nuts, if desired. Add the warm water. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie and fill indentations with marmalade or strawberry preserves. Bake in a preheated 375ºF. oven for 12 minutes.
Makes 3 dozen

Thumbprint Cookies 2

1 cup of margarine
1 cup of sugar
2 egg yolks
Favorite jelly
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of flour

Mix the margarine and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt. Roll in ball. Place thumb in center. Fill center with favorite jelly. Bake in oven at 350ºF. until edges turn brown. 

Thumbprint Cookies 3

2/3 cup of butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 egg yolk
2 tbsp. orange juice
2 cups  plus 2 tablespoons of  flour, sifted
1/4 cup of jam (raspberry, strawberry, or cherry)

Place all ingredients, except jam, into large mixing bowl and mix with electric mixer. Stop mixing when mixture looks flaky. Roll dough into balls by rounded measuring teaspoons. Place on greased cookie sheet an inch apart. Place thumb into center of cookies making a deep indentation. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and quickly fill in indentations with the jam. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes more. Remove to rack to cool. 

German Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies 4

TOPPING:

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of evaporated milk
1/2 cup of butter, soft
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 cup of coconut
1 1/2 cup of chopped pecans

COOKIES:

1 package of German chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup of melted butter

In heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, vanilla and egg yolks; blend well. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 13 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring frequently. Stir in coconut and pecans. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Reserve 1 1/4 cups topping; set aside. In large bowl combine cookie ingredients and remaining topping mixture; stir by hand until thoroughly moistened. Do not grease cookie sheet. Heat oven to 350ºF. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, make indentation with thumb in center and fill with 1/2 teaspoon reserved topping mix. Bake at 350ºF. for 10 to 13 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and remove. Approximately 5 dozen cookies. 

Praline Thumbprint Cookies 5

1 cup of butter or margarine, softened
1 cup of powdered sugar, sifted
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of pecans, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
Praline filling

Cream butter; gradually add powdered sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add flour, mixing well. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press thumb in center of each cookie to make an indentation. Bake at 375ºF.  for 15 to 17 minutes. Do not brown. Cool on wire racks. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon Praline Filling into each cookie indentation. Yield: about 3 dozen. 

PRALINE FILLING:

1/2 cup of butter or margarine
1 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed
A dash of salt
1/2 cup of evaporated milk
2 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and salt; bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in milk. Bring mixture to a boil and let boil 2 minutes or until 232ºF. Remove praline mixture from heat. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla; beat with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth. Yield: about 1 1/2 cups.