Red Currant Jelly Thumbprint Cookies Recipes

RED CURRANT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 f.
• Grease a baking sheet.
• Sift flour onto a pastry board and make a well in the centre.
• Add sugar, vanilla sugar and egg yolks to well.
• Mix a small amount of flour into the ingredients in the well to make a thick paste.
• Cut cold butter into small pieces over the flour mixture.
• Working quickly and starting from the centre, work all the ingredients together to make a smooth dough.
• Chill dough for 1/2 hour.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm (1/8 ") thickness.
• Cut into 5 cm (2 ") rounds.
• Cut 3 small holes using a floured thimble, in half of the cut out rounds, or use a smaller cookie cutter to cut a hole in the centre (you can use linzer cookie cutters if you have them).
• Place on prepared baking and bake on middle rack of oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cool cookies.
• Spread jam on the solid rounds and cover with the cut out rounds.
• Dust with the icing sugar while the cookies are still warm (easiest way is to dip cut out cookie into icing sugar before placing on top of jam layer.

RED CURRANT JELLY THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy.
• Separate eggs.
• Place whites in a small bowl, lightly beat; set aside.
• Add egg yolks and vanilla to butter mixture.
• Beat well.
• In another bowl, stir together flour and salt.
• Gradually add flour & salt to butter mixture, Blending thoroughly.
• With your hands, roll dough into balls about 1-inch diameter.
• Dip each ball in eggs whites, then roll in finely chopped walnuts to coat.
• Place on greased baking sheets,spacing 1 inch apart.
• With your thumb or the tip of a spoon (I use my thumb), make an indentation inthe center of each ball.
• Neatly fill each indentation with 1/4 teaspoon jelly or jam.
• (If using icing fill each cookie after baking.) Bake in a 375° oven for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Let cool on baking sheets for about 1 minute, then transfer to rack and let cool completely.
• This is when I fill each with icing.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES (SAVORY CHEDDAR)

Steps:

• In food processor, pulse together Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and butter until smooth.
• Add egg yolk and pepper; pulse until blended.
• Add flour; pulse just until soft dough forms.
• Place pecans on plate.
• Place 1 cup water in bowl.
• With hands, roll scant tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls.
• Wet balls with water; roll in nuts to coat pressing nuts lightly into dough ball.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet.
• With thumb or finger, make indentation in center of each.
• Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Bake in center of 350°F oven for about 15 minutes or until firm outside and lightly golden.
• Let cool on baking sheet.
• (Can be prepared to this point and frozen in layers separated by waxed paper in rigid airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Bake in 350°F oven for about 3 minutes to recrisp).
• Fill indentations with hot pepper jelly.

JELLY THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla.
• Beat in egg yolks.
• Sift together flour, soda and salt and add to sugar mixture.
• Form into balls the size of a walnut, dip in slightly-beaten egg whites, and roll in chopped nuts.
• Place on a greased cookie sheet and press down slightly in the center with your thumb.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.
• Remove from oven and press down in center again.
• Bake another 10 minutes.
• Cool.
• Just before serving, put a dab of jelly in the center of each cookie.