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Should the Valentine week remind us of love? Sonali, our foodie, says that love is something that we must celebrate all year long. Expensive heart shaped gifts and cards are cliché. Here she bakes jam thumbprint cookies to showcase her love – as she did for a friend she met after a long time. Read more about it, in the weekly column, exclusively for Different Truths.
It is that time of the year again when people show their love for their dear and loved ones. I, personally feel there is no specific time to show love for your loved ones and to me expensive heart-shaped gifts and cards have become cliché. I love to gift my friends and family occasionally with homemade baked goods or gifts which make it very special. I baked these Jam Thumbprint Cookies recently for my friend, whom I met after a long time. She was pleasantly surprised by the gift and loved every bite of it. if you would like to gift someone special this season, go ahead and bake a batch of these jam thumbprint cookies.
The well in the center of the cookie is made with thumb impression, hence the name thumbprint cookie. I filled the cookies with homemade mixed fruit jam and apricot jam, you may use any jam of your choice. To make them extra special you may drizzle some sugar glaze or dust with some icing sugar. Happy Baking!
Recipe
Preparation Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 10-12 mins
Makes: 2 dozen
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or maida
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter at room temperature
3/4 cup castor or granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup jam such as strawberry, apricot or any jam of your choice
Method
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl cream the butter and sugar with the help of a whisk or a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl while beating.
Add the egg and the vanilla extract and beat well until incorporated.
Gradually add the flour mixture and beat at low speed to combine everything together. Do not over mix. Shape the dough into a disc and wrap with a cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Line a baking tray with a parchment paper and set aside.
Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 3 inches between each cookie. With the help of the thumb or back of a small spoon, make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill each well with a small spoonful of jam of your choice.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown in color. Repeat with rest of the dough.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for ten minutes and then cool completely on the wire rack.
Serve with milk, tea or coffee.
Tips
You may store the dough in the refrigerator for seven days or in the freezer for a month. Once the cookies are completely cooled, store in an airtight container. The cookies continue to bake on the baking sheet even after taken out of the oven. So don’t over bake the cookies in the oven.
©Sonali Chakraborty
Photos by the author
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