Thursday, December 9, 2010

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

A favorite cookie to make this time of year is the Jam Thumbprint.  I am very fortunate to have prize-winning jam for my cookies; my friend Catherine Golden wins blue ribbons every summer at the Saratoga County Fair, and she shares!  This year she's given me jars of both her home-made apricot and raspberry jams.  They are the crowning jewels of this cookie, one that always shows up on my holiday platter.

Jam Thumbprints are very simple.  With your favorite rolled sugar cookie recipe (because it is firm, or even packaged sugar cookie dough if you're pressed for time), you form the dough into balls about an inch in diameter, approximately the size of a gum ball from those machines when we were little kids.  Then the dough is dipped into a beaten egg white and rolled in coconut or crushed nuts.  Placed on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, an impression is made in the center (thus the "thumbprint" though I use the handle end of a wooden spoon), just right for a half-teaspoon of jam. 

Catherine Golden's Prize-Winning Jam

I love these cookies.  Here's the simple recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (if you don't have any, go get it.  It's one of the most useful kitchen tools you'll ever have). 

Your favorite sugar cookie dough for rolled cookies
1 egg white, beaten
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (or whatever nut you prefer)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup jam/s

With your sugar cookie dough prepared, form 1" diameter balls, then coat in beaten egg white and roll in either nuts or coconut.  Place on cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.  Make a depression in the center of each ball, about 1/3 of the way down, no further.  Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of jam in each depression. 

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes OR JUST UNTIL THEY VISIBLY START TO BROWN ON THE OUTSIDE EDGES (ovens are different, you really have to watch them). 

Remove from oven, let sit for a minute, then move to wire rack to complete cooling. 

I guarantee, you will love these!

Photo credit: http://jessie-cooks.blogspot.com/2008/05/bely-coco-nut-jam-thumbprint-cookies.html

3 comments:

  1. I am so honored to be featured on this post, and I must try this recipe. Catherine

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  2. Thanks for the recipe. This is my favorite cookie and I now have to figure out how to make it in a heart-healty way; but I have a starting point!

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  3. I'm going to make these tonight! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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