Walnut-Apricot Jam Thumbprint Cookies or Hazelnut, Pecan, Almond – Strawberry or Raspberry jam
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup + 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
confectioners sugar for dusting
apricot, raspberry or strawberry jam (about a cup)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and place a rack in the centre of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix the ground walnuts and the flour; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 30 seconds until creamy. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until fluffy (3 to 4 minutes). Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the walnut/flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time, until it is all incorporated. Refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the dough and begin forming balls using about a teaspoonful of dough. Place the balls of dough on a baking sheet and using your thumb (or any finger you like!) make a deep indentation in each ball of dough. Don’t break through the bottom of the dough.
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for about 16 minutes. The cookies will be slightly golden around the edges and on the bottom. Remove the cookies and let them sit on the tray for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, dust the cookies liberally with icing sugar. In a small pot, heat the jam until it starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and using a teaspoon to fill each cookie with the jam. Let the jam cool completely before serving the cookies. Enjoy!
by Get Off Your Butt and BAKE
Yum!