Saturday, 24 2010

kitchy weekends: hazelnut thumbprint cookies

contributed by guest food blogger Sugar Crawler

If you’re having a tea party like my blog crush Lola, then these cookies are  the perfect for the tea party, they are nice, sweet and a fancy companion to a cup of tea.  Not to mention that they are also pretty. Maybe various jams would make them even prettier, like apricot or blueberry. I used plain old strawberry.

I liked the texture of the cookies, they are really crunchy and nutty on the outside and soft in the inside. Although, frankly I like them better after few days in my cookie tin, certainly crunchier. And one thing, the better the quality of the jam the nicer it’d taste. I used my regular grocery strawberry jam and it was too sweet, well, next time I’ll use apricot!

HAZELNUT JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES

via Martha Stewart’s
Makes about 2 dozen

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, separated, each part lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup toasted skinned hazelnuts, ground
Strawberry jam, for filling

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put butter and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla, and mix well. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt, and mix until just combined. Refrigerate dough for 2 hours.
2. Stir together toasted hazelnuts and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; dip balls in egg white, then in hazelnut-sugar mixture. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press down center of each ball with your thumb. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; press down centers again with the end of a wooden spoon. Return to oven. Bake cookies until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Let cool slightly on sheets on wire racks. Fill each center with jam. Cookies can be stored in a single layer in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.