Clear, sunny warm and Thumb Print Cookies with Chocolate!

Good Morning Augusta

This morning we'll have sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High will reach 80ºF. Winds from the SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight we'll have cloudy skies with a low of 50ºF. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.

The readings from my weather instruments are:

Humidity is 72%, the dew point is 46ºF and outside it's  54.5ºF.

The wind direction is  South Southwest between 0.0 MPH and 0.2 MPH, with a heat index of 55ºF.

The Barometric pressure is 29.85 and rising with a weather graphic indicating sun.

The UV rating is 1 out of 16, Sunrise is 4:55 a.m. Sunset is 8:21 P.M. Moon rise is 7:25 a.m., Moon set is 4:40 p.m., and the moon phase is waxing gibbous being 99% illuminated.

The RAW METAR reading from Augusta's airport this morning is:

METAR KAUG 081053Z AUTO 20003KT 10SM CLR 12/08 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP154 T01220078

Visibility is 10.0 Miles / 16.1 Kilometers with clear, sunny skies again today. 

We didn't receive any rain over the past 24 hours.

Space Weather for this morning is:

Today's Solar flux is 78, the solar wind speed is 324 Kilometers per second and the chance of a solar storm is 1%.

Here is another easy to make "grab and go" chocolate treat.

CHOCOLATE-FILLED THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Cookies:

½ cup soft butter or margarine

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 ½ cups sifted flour

2 Tblsp. milk

¼ cup chocolate chips, chopped

Sifted confectioner's sugar for rolling

1. Heat oven to 375⁰.

2. Mix  together butter, salt, vanilla, and brown sugar.

3.Blend in flour, chocolate chips, and milk.

4. Shape into 1" balls.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet; with thumb make a depression in each cookie.

5. Bake 10-12 minutes.

6. Roll in confectioner's sugar and cool.

Filling:

¾ cup chocolate chips

1 Tblsp. shortening

2 Tblsp. white corn syrup

1 Tblsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:

Melt chocolate chips with shortening and stir; cool slightly.

Add corn syrup, water, and vanilla.

Heap in center of each cookie.