Holiday Cookies -Thumbprint Cookies
HOLIDAY COOKIES - THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Thumbprint Cookies, also known as Russian Tea Cakes, have been a favourite treat during the Holidays and who does not like these delicious, melt in your mouth buttery shortbread, colourful festive cookies with a hint of nuts, jam and or coconut.
Over the years I have tried several recipes and I have finally come up with the perfect recipe (for me) and I am sharing it with you. It is easy to make, I made sure of it. But, if you can find a prepared shortbread cookie mix, go for it and follow their baking instructions. You can still use the toppings suggested hereby.
INGREDIENTS:
3 Sticks of room temperature butter. Many recipes call for unsalted butter and it will cut back on the sodium content of your cookies. I use whatever I have available in the fridge, after all, these treats are only baked during the Holidays so enjoy.
1 Cup of sugar. I sometimes cut back to 3/4 cups of sugar because I find the jam topping makes them sweet enough.
1 1/2 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
3 1/2 Cups of all purpose flour. I use gluten free as some family members are allergic to wheat.
1/4 Teaspoon of salt. Regular or Kosher.
Toppings:
1 Egg, beaten. To be used as an egg wash.
1 Cup of finely chopped pecans, almonds or hazelnuts - your choice.
1 Cup of sweetened, flaked coconut - optional.
Final Toppings:
1 Cup of jam, regular or sugar free. You can use your favourite jam. I find raspberry compliments shortbread deliciously but with such a large selection to chose from: apricot, blueberry, orange marmalade, raspberry, strawberry, you can make a multi flavoured and coloured batch of festive cookies that can delight your family or the recipients of your baked goods gifts.
Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets with baking oil.
Use middle rack of oven and check on bake time for better results.
INSTRUCTIONS
In large bowl, cream together, butter and sugar. Add vanilla. In smaller bowl sift together flour and salt.
Slowly add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until they come together. Pat or roll your dough into a giant patty, cover and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Any longer might make the dough too dry and crumbly to handle. Roll into a giant rectangle and cut into 4 dozen squares. Take each square and roll in the palm of your hands as you would a meatball. Dip each ball into the egg wash, roll into your choice of topping and place in cookie sheet. With your thumb or back of a teaspoon make a dent in the centre of the cookie dough. You then fill the indent with a teaspoon of your choice of jam. ***
Bake for between 15 to 25 minutes. Do keep a close watch on bake time as all ovens are different - I have burned a few.
Cool in cookie sheet for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely in rack.
** TIP: Sometimes the jam can bake into a hard gooey topping so bake your first batch and check on filling's consistency, if you like the outcome continue baking as instructions call for. If topping turns out too hard, fill the indent in the final 7 minutes of baking.
Enjoy !!!!
Yields 4 dozen cookies.
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