Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Barefoot Bloggers has yet another cookie recipe in the store for us this month. The Minxes are pretty sure that Barefoot Bloggers is one awesome and rockin' organization.

I made these on an overcast, soggy day when the Minxes were restless and we were recovering from a rather traumatic incident at Miss D.'s annual school talent show. The short version: messed up music, puzzled and clueless 8-year old, frantic exit from stage in tears and hysterics.

Buzzkill. For all of us.

So the next day, still feeling a little heartsick, we rolled up our sleeves and played with vanilla-scented dough and coconut and jam.

The girls enjoyed rolling out the balls of dough and then poking indentations in them with buttery fingers. They especially liked licking the jam-covered spoons and, much to their mother's dismay, dunking the spoons back into the jam jar.

But I let them. I can always purchase another jar of jam. Mending broken hearts? If only it were so easy.



Jam Thumbprint Cookies
from Barefoot Contessa Family Style
makes 32 cookies

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale, they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and the roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is golden brown. Cool and serve.