Double Thumbprint Cookies

From: Here

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups AP flour
1/4-1/3 cup cherry jam or preserves, or seedless raspberry preserves


Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.


Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. For each cookie on an ungreased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet place 2 dough balls side by side with one side touching. Press thumbs into each ball to form an indentation in each. Press in center of each with thumb and taper bottom of cookie with fingers to form a heart shape. Repeat with remaining dough balls, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack. While warm, fill each indentation with jam or preserves. Cool completely. Makes about 30 cookies.

 

Verdict:

Thumbs up! Although making the heart shape is a lot of trouble. It's cute for Valentine's Day or your anniversary, but for an everyday dessert, I say go with the regular one thumbprint cookie. Also, I prefer peanut butter jammies over these shortbread cookies, but to each his or her own. My mom loves the shortbread instead, so I like switching between recipes. :)

Strawberry Thumbprints

From: Family Circle

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup ground walnuts
2 cups AP flour
1/2 jar (12 oz) seedless strawberry jam

 Beat butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, yolk, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Add walnuts and flour. Blend on low speed just until combined; dough will be crumbly but moist.

 Gather dough together with your hands to form a ball. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic, refrigerate for an hour. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick foil. Break off 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Roll ball in remaining 1/2 cup sugar to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet. Press a deep indentation into center of dough, large enough to hold 1/2 teaspoon jam. Fill indentation with jam; repeat.

Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until lightly golden. Cool on pans for 5 minutes.

 What I did differently from the recipe:
Left out the walnuts because I didn't have any on hand.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Neutral. I have made many, many thumbprint cookie recipes in my day (i.e. these with sugar cookies, these with peanut butter, twists) and this was not my favorite. They were a good cookie, but the actual cookie tasted a lot like shortbread to me. Not a great taste unless you add the jam to it. I'd say my favorite of these so far is the peanut butter jammies. But you might love these! I would recommend you try them, especially if you like shortbread cookies!

Strawberry Thumbprints

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup ground walnuts
2 cups AP flour
1/2 jar (12 oz) seedless strawberry jam

  Beat butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, yolk, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Add walnuts and flour. Blend on low speed just until combined; dough will be crumbly but moist. Gather dough together with your hands to form a ball. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic, refrigerate for an hour. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick foil. Break off 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Roll ball in remaining 1/2 cup sugar to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet. Press a deep indentation into center of dough, large enough to hold 1/2 teaspoon jam. Fill indentation with jam; repeat. Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until lightly golden. Cool on pans for 5 minutes.