I'm doing Christmas cookies for the first time this year. I hadn't planned on doing it, but I got seduced by the cookie article in my Food Network magazine. Damn. Now I'm doing 3 types (well, 2 for sure.. not sure if I will have time to make the third one). On top of cooking Christmas dinner. With a toddler and infant in tow.
Yeah, I'm a wee bit crazy. But I was seduced, so I can't be blamed.
The dough for this one was pretty crumbly. Not sure if it was supposed to be like that, but it still worked. It just was a bit messier than I had expected. The cookies came out well. They are tiny, so you can enjoy a few without feeling too guilty. I used apricot preserves and "superfruit" jam because that's what I had on hand. Any jam or jelly would do just fine.
Enjoy!
Thumbprint Cookies
Makes 72 cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter, softened (1 and 1/2 sticks)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Jelly, jam or preserves, any fruit flavors
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. In two batches, add flour mixture until just combined. Knead a few times by hand to bring the dough together.
Roll teaspoons of the dough into balls and place 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Make an indentation in the center of each ball with your thumb or small measuring spoon. Fill each indentation with 1/8 teaspoon of jam.
Bake until the edges of the cookies are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
