Thumbprint Cookies with Cranberry Chocolate Jam

On Sunday, I had to bake a dessert for our friend's holiday dinner that evening. I wanted to prepare something festive and delicious, and I remembered that I had a jar of homemade Cranberry Chocolate Jam from Doves & Figs - which was in my goodie bag from a recent Blogger Brunch.

After giving the jam a quick taste, I knew what I wanted to make: Thumbprint cookies. Per usual, I found a recipe online and modified it according to the ingredients in my kitchen. 

Thumbprint Cookies

Yields: 2 dozen cookies

Adapted from SimplyRecipes.com

-1 cup of Melt, room temperature
-1/2 cup of sugar
-2 eggs, room temperature
-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
-Pinch of salt
-2 cups of whole wheat flour
-3/4 cup of Cranberry Chocolate jam (or your favorite jam)

Directions:

1.) Cream the butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes.
2.) Separate the eggs. Add the yolks and vanilla extract to the butter mixture.
3.) Add the flour and salt. Mix until just combined. Place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4.) Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place the balls on greased or parchment lined cookie sheets.
5.) Press down with your thumb to make a small well in the center of the cookie. Do not press too hard or the cookie will fall apart. Fill with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
6.) Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firm. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet to firm up before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

The end result was a buttery, thick, soft cookie and the rich cranberry jam really made these something special. The jam itself had a hint of cocoa, which complemented the tang from the cranberries quite well.

What's your favorite holiday cookie?

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