Thumbprint Jewels

Finished your Christmas baking yet? If you haven’t, here’s a great little cookie to add to your list. These little jewels are very tender, short cookies with a hint of lemon and a nice little bite of jam right in the center. I used orange marmalade and raspberry jam in these, but you can use any seedless jam. Blackberry, blueberry, cherry are all good in these little bite-sized treats.

This recipe makes up quickly and gives you about 4 dozen pretty cookies to share with family or friends. I like to put a dozen in a clear cellophane bag and tie it up with a pretty ribbon for a hostess gift.

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Scant ½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, slightly softened
Scant 1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 3-oz. package cream cheese, slightly softened and cut into chunks
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
About 2/3 cup chopped almonds or pistachios for topping (optional)
Assorted seedless jams

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two large baking sheets by lining with parchment paper, greasing or spraying with cooking spray.

Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar and egg yolk. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and well blended. Add the cream cheese, vanilla and lemon zest beating until evenly incorporated.

On low speed, beat in the flour mixture until well blended. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes or until dough firms up slightly.

Shape portions of the dough into approximate 1-inch balls. Place the dough in the palm of your hand and cup your other hand over the top. Roll the dough between your cupped hands to form a smooth little ball.

Dip the tops of the balls into the chopped nuts, if using. Place the balls, nut side up, on the baking sheets, about 1 ½ inches apart. Use your thumb to press a deep well into the center of each ball. Place about ¼ teaspoon jam in each indentation.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven for 9 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are just barely brown at the edges. Reverse the baking sheet halfway through baking to ensure even browning. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let stand until cookies firm up slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the cookies from the pan and place them on the wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze for up to a month.

Enjoy!

Recipe from The All-American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett