Christmas Jam Thumbprints
Thumbprints are one of our oldest and most beloved cookies. You can see why. it takes just kitchen staples to make the dough and then you can use the thumb of a child to press down into the dough and make the well in which you dab a small bit of jam before baking.
Vary the jam as you need. You can use the leftover bits of jam in your fridge or better yet, use one of our very nice strawberry or Christmas jam!
Thumbprint cookies are always a hit, and they jazz up a holiday cookie tray. You can easily double and triple this recipe to have enough to holiday swapping and sharing.
Yield: 2 Dozen
CHRISTMAS JAM THUMBPRINTS
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 48 Min
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups The Old Mill Plain Unbleached Flour
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup Christmas Jam or Old Mill Strawberry Preserves
Instructions
- Place the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is creamy, about 1 minute. Turn off the machine.
- Separate the egg, placing the egg white in a small bowl and setting it aside. Place the egg yolk in the mixing bowl with the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla. Beat on low speed until the mixture is just combined and creamy, 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of the flour, beating on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add up to 1/4 cup of the remaining flour, adding what is needed to pull the mixture into a ball, beating on low speed as you add the flour. Depending on the size of the egg yolk and the flour, you may or may not need all the flour.
- Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Set aside two ungreased baking sheets.
- Divide the dough into 24 balls on the baking sheets. Roll each ball in the palm of your hands gently, then dip on all sides in egg white and roll in the pecans. Place back on the baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining balls of dough. Using your thumb, press into the center of each ball to create a well. Spoon 1/2 teaspoonful of jam into the well.
- Place one pan in the oven, and bake until the cookies are lightly golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Repeat with the second pan. Remove immediately from the pan to a wire rack to cool.