Make Your Mark with Festive Thumbprint Cookies
(ARA) - No holiday is complete without at least one batch of adorable, jelly-filled thumbprint cookies. The key ingredient for this holiday favorite is butter -- helping to create a melt-in-your mouth, shortbread dough -- the perfect foil for sweet jelly filling. Think beyond traditional raspberry jelly this holiday season and experiment with trendy thumbprint fillings guaranteed to impress family and friends.
Pomegranate stars in an updated version of the thumbprint cookie. Jelly made from this ruby-red, good-for-you fruit adds the perfect sweetness to showcase the rich buttery cookie dough base. For a clever take on the classic turtle candy, try a thumbprint cookie filled with creamy caramel, a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of bittersweet chocolate. Sea salt accentuates the buttery caramel flavor for the perfect balance of salty and sweet.
Visit www.ButterIsBest.com for baking tips and more holiday cookie recipes made with real butter.
| Pomegranate Jelly Almond Thumbprints |
Makes 4 to 5 dozen jelly-filled cookies
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 and 1/2 cup slivered almonds (6 oz.)
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 and 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, finely chopped, for garnish, optional
3/4 cup pomegranate jelly*
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish, optional
* Pomegranate jelly may be found in specialty food stores or ordered from J & T Jelly online at www.pomegranatejelly.com.
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or leave ungreased.
2. Combine flour and salt in a bowl; set aside.
3. Combine almonds and 1/3 cup of sugar in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until finely ground. (Be careful not to grind to a paste).
4. Combine butter and remaining sugar in a medium bowl. Cream together until light and fluffy. Add ground almond and sugar mixture. Mix to combine. Add vanilla and egg yolks. Mix to combine. Mix in flour.
5. Roll dough into walnut-size balls and place 2 in. apart on baking sheets. Dip your thumbs in flour and use to make a deep indentation in center of each cookie.
6. Whisk egg whites to loosen them and then brush outside of each cookie with egg white. Scatter a few chopped almonds on outer edge of each cookie if desired. Fill each center with 1/2 tsp. of jelly.
7. Bake until edges are golden brown, 15 to 18 min. Remove from oven. If needed, immediately add another 1/4 tsp. of jelly to each cookie. Let stand for 3 to 4 min. Transfer to cooling racks with a thin metal spatula. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.
| Sandies By The Sea |
Makes 2 to 3 dozen 2-in., thumbprint-style cookies
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, lightly toasted and very finely ground*
20 caramel candies
3 Tbsp. cream or whole milk
2 to 3 Tbsp. large crystal sea salt or fleur de sel, as needed**
1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate morsels (at least 60 percent cocoa)
*To toast pecans, place nuts in a single layer in an ungreased shallow pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 to 10 min., or until golden brown. Remove from pan to cool.
** Sea salt and fleur de sel are found at specialty food markets and most supermarkets. For this recipe, choose a white or pink variety with large crystals.
Method
1. Combine flour and salt in bowl; set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat to blend. Add dry ingredients in batches, mixing between each. Stir in ground pecans. Cover and chill dough until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or butter the sheets.
4. Roll dough into 1-in. balls with floured hands. Place on baking sheet at least 1 in. apart, and form a cavity in center of each ball with thumb. Bake for 13 to 15 min., or until bottoms are brown and set.
5. Remove cookies from oven; cool briefly on baking sheet. Transfer with a metal spatula to a wire cooling rack set over a piece of parchment paper.
6. Melt caramel candies and cream together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Fill center of each cookie with approximately 1/2 tsp. of caramel. Sprinkle warm centers evenly with sea salt, and let sit until firm.
7. Place chocolate in plastic bag in a bowl, heat on medium at 30-sec. intervals in microwave. Massage between each interval until melted. Cut a small hole in bottom corner of bag, drizzle chocolate across each cookie; add additional salt if desired and allow cookies to sit until chocolate has become firm.
Courtesy of ARA Content
Images and recipes copyright 2007 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc. (www.WisDairy.com)
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