Birds In The Nest

1 c Brown sugar

1 c Butter or shortening

2 Eggs, separated

2 tb Water

2 c Unsifted flour

1 ts Vanilla

1 pn Salt

1/2 c Ground nuts

Jelly-your favorite flavor These cookies have been a "must" on my family's holiday table since I was a little girl. My earliest memories of "birds in the nest" take me back to my maternal grandmother's house where she filled each "nest" according to the favorite jelly flavor of each of her grandchildren. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter or shortening. Add egg yolks, water, flour, vanilla and salt. Mix well and compress into a ball. Preheat oven to 350?. Break pieces off to form small, walnut-size balls. Dip each ball in unbeaten egg whites, then roll in ground nuts. Slightly flatten ball to form disk, then press finger in center to form a small well. Fill the well with a drop of jelly. (Don't put in to much or it will melt over the side of the cookie.) Bake at 350? for 15-20 minutes on a greased cookie sheet Remove from oven and cool cookies on wire racks. Yield: about 4 dozen. Bunny Polmer, Editor, Kitchen Bazaar Times, Rockville, MD Randy Shearer