I love this recipe for an old standard – thumbprint cookies. I have always hated the “thumb” part of making thumbprint cookies – my thumbs are not anywhere near the proper shape. Reshaping the imprint halfway thru baking with the back of a measuring teaspoon makes for nice even round hollows to fill with delicious jam. Also, the cream cheese in this recipe makes for a light cakey cookie which complements the richness of the sweet jam center.
Thumbprint Cookies (America’s Test Kitchen)
1/2 C raspberry (or any flavor you like) jam
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
12 T unsalted butter, softened
2/3 C sugar
3 oz (6 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill a small ziploc bag with the jam. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together in a medium bowl.
In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the cream cheese, egg and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as necessary.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds.
Working with 1 1/2 t of dough (about a small melon baller) at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart. Make an indentation with your thumb (wet your thumb in water to prevent sticking) in the center of each cookie. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect – you’re going to do a second indentation halfway thru cooking.
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they are just beginning to set and are lightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and, working quickly, gently reshape the indentation with the bottom of a measuring teaspoon. Snip a small corner off the bag of jam and carefully fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of the jam. Rotate the baking sheet and continue to bake until lightly golden, 12-14 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes before serving.
Bakerlady 