jam thumbprints

 want a sweet treat but don't have much time or energy? why not skip the peanut-butter and jam sandwich and go for something a tad more sophisticated but almost just as easy. jam thumbprints require so little time to prepare, they'll become your go to for unexpected visitors or if you're in need of a little afternoon pick-me-up. guess what makes a great jam thumbprint. Did you guess it ? the jam of course. I love using jam that I prepared in the summer with fresh strawberries but if you have a life contrary to me :P you can totally get the double fruit store-bought kind. if you're more creative, you can even use different kinds of jams to create a colourful selection of cookies. thumbprint cookie dough is basically shortbread dough which is crumbly and not too sweet. this type of dough complements perfectly the sweetness of jam.

 make sure your butter and egg yolk are both at room temperature. this will make your life much easier when it comes to mixing and it will help the ingredients bind together instead of crumbling. some vanilla extract, flour, salt and a jar of your most scrumptious jam and you're all set.

 when it comes to making the prints in your cookies, make sure there is space for about 1 teaspoon of jam. the cookies will rise ever so slightly but don't worry, You can totally push the dough back in before adding your jam. if you want, you can use the back of a measuring spoon if you need the cookies to be perfectly symmetrical. In my opinion, it is much more fun to use your thumb but, you do you!

 once your cookies have baked for 10 minutes and are starting to get a little golden, it's time to add the cherry on top. put about a spoonful on each cookie making sure they don't overflow. once they're all filled, throw them back in the oven for another 5 minutes so the jam sets into the cookies. Now here comes the hard part. the "letting them cool" part. they're going to call out your name but trust me, if you don't want your mouth to feel like it visited hell and came back, let them cool for at least 5 minutes. jam is mostly made of sugar and sugar can reach excruciatingly hot temperatures. now, go make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and be proud of you for making something more complicated than a peanut-butter and jam sandwich :)

ingredients

•  1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk at room temperature 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ~1/2 cup jam of your choice

instructions

• preheat the oven to 350F
• in a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. set aside
• in a medium bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined.
• add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until it forms a uniform dough.
•  drop tablespoon-sized balls and roll. push your thumb or a spoon into the middle of the balls to make a depression that could hold about 1 teaspoon of jam.
• bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until they are golden on the outside.
• fill the thumbprint with about one teaspoon of jam making sure they don't over overflow.
• place the cookies back in the oven for an extra 5 minutes.
• let the cookies cool and enjoy.

yields :about two dozen cookies

keeps for about a week