Cookies don't get much easier than these Whole-Wheat Jam Thumbprints.
They require only six ingredients, one of which can be any ol' jam you have hanging around the house. You bring the dough together with nothing other than your hands, in a single bowl.
Try to be gentle while doing it, though, to avoid forming excess gluten, which can make the cookies tough.
If you happen to have a cookie scoop or disher on hand, they will make especially neat balls of dough. Otherwise, you can portion out the dough by using a tablespoon or even pinching off pieces with your fingers.
Whole Wheat Jam Thumbprints
Make Ahead
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. For long-term cold storage, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze, for up to several months.
Ingredients
- 3-1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Generous 1 cup sugar
- 21 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- Scant 3/4 cup your choice of jam
Method
- Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 200 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Use your hands to combine the flour, baking powder and sugar with the butter in a mixing bowl until well incorporated, for about 1 minute. Pour the eggs into the mixture and gently work them in just until smooth, taking care not to overwork the dough.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop half the dough into 30 equal portions.
- Roll them into balls; the dough might be a little crumbly, so don't be afraid to compress it a bit to help the balls stay together. Divide between baking sheets, spacing the balls about 5cm apart.
- Make an indentation in the centre of each one with your thumb, then fill each depression with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam. If the edges crack, just gently press them back together.
- Bake (upper and lower racks) for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown and firm to the touch; halfway through, rotate the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom. Transfer the thumbprints to a wire rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, repeat with the remaining dough - rolling it into another 30 balls, placing them on the baking sheets, creating the indentations, filling them with jam and baking.
- Serve warm, or let them cool completely before storing.
Washington Post