Thumbprint Cookie Recipe

I had a stomach bug for the better part of the past week and just started feeling better yesterday, which meant I got way behind in baking cookies. I’m catching up today, and the first batches were these melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies with a tiny dollop of jam in the center. For me, they mean “Christmas” because that’s the only time my mom makes them and so do I.  An added bonus this year was using the strawberry jam made by my sister-in-law – thanks, Megan! I also used a store-bought four-fruit preserve. Enjoy!

Thumbprint Cookies (yield: 120 cookies) 

1 lb. butter

1 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

4 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

Measure flour and salt into large bowl. Cream butter & sugar well with mixer. Add egg yolks. Mix well. Add vanilla. Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well between additions.

Form into balls the size of a quarter. Place on slightly greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly with palm. Press in center with thumb or fingertip. Be careful not to crack the dough around the edges or the jam will run out the side. Fill with a berry, cherry or apricot jam.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until brown around edges. Reverse baking sheets once during baking. Keep an eye on the jam. If you keep these in too long, the jam evaporates too much and then the cookies look kind of sad.