jam thumbprint

This cookie stole my heart at the last Christmas cookie exchange. If there had been a contest, it would have won first place.

Mom's Non-Dressy Thumbprint

This cute cookie brings back many childhood memories— baking with my mom, pressing my thumb into the squishy dough, dropping the spoonful of jam, stealing licks off said spoon... my mom's, however, were plain and simple. Her thumbprint was a shortbread-like dough with a dollop of jam.

Ina Garten's recipe dresses it up with rolling the dough ball in some flaked coconut. The exterior crunch of baked golden coconut adds a delightful extra something to an old favorite. I love it.

Ina Garten's Jam Thumbprint
from foodnetwork.com

¾ lb. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3½ cups flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon, for egg wash
7 ounces flaked coconut
raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until just combined. Add the vanilla. Separately, sift the flour and the salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump the mixture on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1-¼ inch balls. (If you have a scale, they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on a ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop ¼ teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the coconut is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

This post is on The Chicken Chick