Apricot-Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

A Classic with a Twist...

When ever you are unsure of what type of cookie to make for a party or to give to someone for a gift, stick with the classics. The thumb print cookie is surely that. They are pretty easy to make and everyone seems to love them. You can fill it with any jam or preserves you like, but apricot and raspberry are tried and true.
I added a surprise element to these cookies by drizzling them with chocolate. I love the way chocolate and apricots or even raspberry taste together. It also dresses them up a bit for the holidays! But you could omit it or even use white chocolate if you want.

Even though my blog is usually healthy versions of classic recipes, this one was a little hard to change without altering the flavor. So I kept half the butter and used a healthier (non-hydrogenated) margarine to replace the other 1/2 cup of butter. So I did replace some of the saturated fat. Oh well, it's the holidays, not every recipe can be healthy. So just eat in moderation! I'll try, but no promises ;)

Apricot-Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup tub margarine (such as smart balance), softened
3 /4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or almond extract)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup apricot jam/preserves (or raspberry)
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Beat butter, margarine and sugar on medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy and fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla; beat well.

Add combined flour and salt to butter mixture and beat until just blended. Lightly beat egg whites in a small bowl. Set aside. Put chopped walnuts in another small bowl.

Form rounded teaspoons of dough into balls; dipping each ball in beaten egg white, then roll in the chopped walnuts. Place cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets. Press thumb or the back of a 1/2 teaspoon gently into center of each ball, to make an indention; fill each cookie with about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon preserves.

Bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes or until light brown. Let cookies cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

With a spoon, drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies. Let dry and store in airtight container.

Raspberry Strippers - Fruit Filled Cookie Tray-

If you like fruit filled cookies, this tray is for you!

This is just one of many cookie trays that I made for Christmas! It consists of bars, cookie slices and cookies filled with different kinds of fruit. It is one of my favorites.

Starting from the bottom middle going clockwise are Coconut Macaroons, Italian Prune Slices, Raspberry Strippers, Fig Slices, more Raspberry Strippers and in the middle, my mom's Apricot Squares.

The Raspberry Strippers were a new addition to my cookie repetaur. It got the recipe from Cooking Light magazine. They were super scrumptious. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a close up photo of this particular cookie, but you can see it has a lot of raspberry filling on the top. Even though it is supposed to be a lighter cookie, it was really delicious. It is made with butter, just a bit less than its cousin recipe (Raspberry Thumbprint cookies).

Raspberry Strippers
by Cooking Light, December 2000

1/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/3 cup raspberry or apricot preserves
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°.

Beat granulated sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and egg white; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, stirring until well-blended. (Dough will be stiff.)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each portion into a 12-inch log. Place logs 3 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Form a 1/2-inch-deep indentation down the length of each log using an index finger or end of a wooden spoon. Spoon preserves into the center. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove logs to a cutting board.

Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and almond extract; stir well with a whisk. Drizzle sugar mixture over warm logs. Immediately cut each log diagonally into 12 slices. (Do not separate slices.) Cool 10 minutes; separate slices. Transfer slices to wire racks. Cool completely.

Yield: 2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie) Nutritional Information: CALORIES 75(30% from fat); FAT 2.5g (sat 1.5g,mono 0.7g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 0.7g; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 4mg; SODIUM 56mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 0.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12.4g

Butter Cookies

Christmas Cookies in May? Sure, Why Not...

I love making cookies and freezing some of them. Sometimes I forget about cookies that I had made and froze, then when I'm foraging through my freezer, I find a sweet surprise!

These butter cookies are just that. I made these 2 days before Christmas and had a few extra, so I wrapped them really well and froze them. I forgot about them until the other day when I was looking for something else in the freezer. After almost 5 months in the freezer, they still tasted fabulous. I love that!

Since I never posted them during the holidays, I figured now is as good a time as ever.

Butter Cookies/ Thumbprint Cookies

3/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
Confectioners sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease cookie sheets.
2. Cream butter.
3. Add eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Add sifted dry ingredients. Stir until well blended.
5. Roll tablespoons of dough into palm of hand until round. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.
6. Bake at 400 degrees switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until bottoms are browned, about 10-12 minutes total.
7. Let cool and roll in confectioners sugar.

*Store cookies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed paper or parchment, at room temperature for upto 1 week.
They also freeze really well. Wrap in foil and place in freezer bag for upto 4 months.

This cookie dough recipe can also be used to make
Thumb Print Cookies
Use the same dough as above.
In step 5 make an indentation with your thumb or the back of a 1/2 teaspoon.
Place 2 almond slices on the top of the cookie on the side of the indentation.
Bake same as above.
Let cool and add 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam in the indentation.
Mix a tablespoon of confectioners sugar and about 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Coat the top of the cookies with confectioners sugar glaze.