Thumbprint Cookies

My cousin in Troutville is coming to visit.  She is bringing her kids.  I didn't think about it too much, because anyone with a bunch of kids has long since learned not to look at clutter or dust.  I didn't have to clean for visitors!  This morning at 6:30 I realized I would have a bunch of kids here and I didn't have any kid friendly food.  Want a tomato or some lettuce? 

I tried to think about what was in my pantry.  There are no nearby stores that open at 6:30AM, which is when I had this epiphany. (I might have gotten Rice Krispies for Rice Krispie Treats. Or store bought cookies if I had thought ahead.)   I had made some peach jam this summer, so I decided on Thumbprint Cookies.  It is basically a soft sugar cookie with an indentation in the top filled with jam.  Homemade cookies filled with homemade jam.  The kids wouldn't appreciate the difference, but Karlyn would!  She makes all their bread, so she knows.

Thumbprint Cookies

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
2/3 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup (or thereabouts)  jam of your choice.  I used peach.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

 

Get out your Kitchen Aid mixer and put the softened butter in and let it start beating the butter.  If it isn't soft enough, you can put it in the microwave for about 10 seconds.  But no longer.  You don't want MELTED butter.  While it is beating get out the rest of the ingredients.  It will take about 5 minutes.  Stop and scrape the butter down a few times.

 

After you get out the sugar, stop the mixer, scrape it down and add the sugar to the butter.  Get it back to mixing and measure out the dry ingredients.  Put the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, mix well with a fork and set it aside.

 

When the butter is nicely whipped add the egg and the vanilla.  Don't set the egg on the counter to take a picture and then turn away.  You will be sorry.  Don't ask me how I know this. 

 

Start the washer, add the kitchen rug,  and then put the new egg you just got out of the fridge immediately into the butter mixture with the vanilla.  Mix just until incorporated.

Add the flour, salt and baking powder in two batches to the mixer.  Just mix until the flour is mixed in.  These should be soft cookies and you don't want to over mix them or they will get tough.
 
 

It is HOT this summer, so I popped the mixing bowl into the freezer to firm up, while I cleaned up a bit and got out the cookie sheets and the Silpats.  You may use parchment paper on the cookie sheets if you don't have the Silpats.  Don't leave it in the freezer more than a few minutes.

 

Place approximately 1/3 cup of sugar in a medium bowl.  Use a small cookie scoop or a Tablespoon to scoop out a ball of dough.  Place three or 4 of them in the bowl of sugar and gently turn them with a spoon to coat all sides with the sugar.

 

Place the sugared balls on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  They will spread out a bit when baking.  Wash your hands.  I know you already did, but do it again.  Dry them.  Dip your newly cleaned thumb in the sugar and then in middle of a cookie and press gently.  The sugar will keep the cookie from sticking to your finger.  You may need to do this between each cookie.  Don't smash the cookie.  You need to leave a bit of cookie on the bottom of the indentation.   I over pressed on a few and got a few wonky cookies.  You just want enough room to place a small amount of jam.  Use a tiny spoon or a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to place a bit of jam in each indentation.

 

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.  Mine took 14 minutes.  The edges will just start to turn brown.  Let the cookies cool for a few minutes and then move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

 

Make sure you put some aside for Lee, because children don't care about saving room for lunch and they want to eat cookies if they see them.  Wait.  That's ME.  I want to eat cookies if I see them.  So put some where you can't see them.