Saturday, December 11, 2010

Baking has Begun

I love to bake.  Especially at Christmas time.  I have a lot of favorite recipes that I make year after year and only at Christmas.  This afternoon I'm going to a Cookie Exchange at a friend's house.  I decided to try a new recipe for Jam Thumbprints and I'm pretty happy I did.  The recipe is easy enough and the cookies are yummy.  I don't know why I've never made them before!

Thought I'd share the recipe:

2/3 c. sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 t. almond extract
1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. plus 2 T. flour
1/2 c. raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350. 

Combine the butter, sugar and extracts with an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the flour a cup at a time.  Continue beating until well mixed. You want the dough to be a little on the moist side.

Take a heaping teaspoon scoop of dough and roll it into a smooth ball.  Place the balls 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  With your thumb, make an indentation in the center (I used the end of a wooden spoon... I know, I know, they ARE called Jam THUMBPRINTS, but my thumb just wasn't cutting it) and fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon jam.


Bake for 15 minutes until light brown around the bottom edges but pale on top.  Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

I sprinkled sparkling sugar on top to make them a little more festive.


Now, if I can just manage to get my tree up and decorated this weekend...

6 comments:

Annette Tait said...

Bridget they look so yummy! I'm such an awful cook and if jam and ovens are involved, then heyyy! watch out! gonna be a burned tongue somewhere :)
(I can never wait to eat them!)

it's heart warming to see Patches and Nutmeg looking over your blog, two shining stars :)

I'm sending you the happy bunny dance (via Shell's blog raspberry rabbits http://theraspberryrabbits.blogspot.com/)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRwsTyUPIYE
it made me smile :) hope it makes you smile too :)

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

Yummy!
Love your banner. Sweet babies...bless their hearts. I'm having a hard time getting in the spirt this year too. Thinking of you.
xx, shell

Christina said...

I am a good cook (if I do say so myself) but only so so with baking. That is why I should drive to AZ and sample all your baked treats! (I can play with some critters while I am there too????)

Sarah Sullivan said...

OhhhhhhhhYUMMMMMMMMM!!!! I love baking..have to get all this knitting done first though LOL!

Thank you hon for your comment..I was so touched! I am feeling better..got lots of hugs and love!! Thank you:)

Desert Rose said...

is it just me or is there a slight bla bla going on around out there...can't seem to get motivated about much except my rides! I have several projcts to work on...but no Stillsitting there!

The JR said...

Sound very good!