Sesame Crusted Jam Thumbprints Small Batch Recipes

DULCE DE LECHE AND NUTELLA THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. With an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Scrape the bowl with a spatula. Turn the mixer on low and add the flour a little at a time, until it is just combined.
• Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1 oz. balls-about 1 ½ tablespoons. Place them on the cookie sheets and make a deep indention in each cookie, with your thumb. Press any cracks back into place.
• Bake for approximately 20 minutes. It will look like the craters have disappeared, but when the cookies cool, they'll be back!
• Scoop the Dulce de Leche into a quart-size freezer bag. Microwave it for 30-60 seconds until thin, like melted peanut butter. The bag may be hot, so wrap it in a small towel. Snip a hole in the corner of the bag and squeeze about 1 ½ teaspoons of caramel into the centers of 24 cookies. Tap the cookies gently to help the caramel fill in the entire indention.
• While the caramel is still a little tacky, sprinkle each cookie with course sea salt. Repeat this process with melted Nutella and the remaining 24 cookies.
• Allow the Dulce de Leche and Nutella to cool for a little while before serving, so the centers can set.
• *You could put them in the refrigerator to speed this up!

PERFECT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix butter and powdered sugar together with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg yolk. Mix with the spatula. Add flour and blend until just combined.
• Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (1-tablespoon) balls. Roll balls in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms. Place several inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
• To make shortbread cookies with a little jam, poke a well into each cookie using the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar or using one of your fingers. Fill cookies with fruit jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops are barely blonde and bottoms are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before icing.
• Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe icing on top of cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
• For a more jam-forward cookie, press your thumb into the cookies to make large, shallow indentations. Spoon in jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter.
• Bake until not quite golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before transferring a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

JAM THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Gradually mix in flour.
• Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls. Dip in lightly beaten egg whites, then roll in finely chopped walnuts. Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Press down center of each with thumb.
• Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Just before serving, fill centers of cookies with strawberry preserves.

CHEDDAR PECAN THUMBPRINTS WITH JALAPENO JELLY AND CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix butter, cheese, pecans, cayeene and salt. Gradually mix in flour. Result will be a stiff dough like shortbread. Form into logs 1-inch thick by 10 inches long. Wrap in wax paper and refrigrate until firm, at least 3 hours. (Refrigerate up to 5 days, frozen up to 6 months.).
• Preheat oven to 350°F Remove dough from wax paper and slice into 1-inch pieces. Lightly press each piece in palm of hand; using thumb make a 1/4 inch indentation in center of each. Fill thumbprint with 1 teaspoon jelly and sprinkle with cranberries on top.
• Place on nonstick cookie sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake 15- 20 minutes or until firm and slightly browned at edges. For best flavor do no overcook. May be served warm at room temperature.

SESAME-CRUSTED JAM THUMBPRINTS (SMALL BATCH)

Steps:

• In a bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and butter. Knead into a smooth dough. If it is too crumbly, add a little milk or water (just enough to make it workable). If it is too wet, add enough flour to make dough workable.
• Put the sesame seeds onto a plate or platter.
• Take off walnut-sized dough nuggets and roll them into balls. Flatten them slightly pressing them into the sesame seeds.
• Transfer cookies to a paper-lined baking sheet and make an indentation in the middle of each cookie using your fingers or the handle of a spoon. Fill this with jam/nutella/nut butter.
• Bake in the preheated oven at 190°C/375°F for 12-15 minutes or until bottoms are slightly golden.
• Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.