THUMBPRINTS WITH DULCE DE LECHE, NUTELLA OR JAM
Thumbprints are the simplest of cookies, but these are packed with flavor from freshly toasted nuts, each paired with its own filling: pecans with dulce de leche (or homemade caramel sauce, if you have some on hand), hazelnuts with Nutella, or pistachios with a festive pool of red currant jelly in the center. Choose a single combination, or make a batch of each. These cookies benefit from forming the thumbprint halfway through baking, but if you can't take the heat, let the dough soften a bit and then press the thumbprints into the dough before baking.
Provided by Susan Spungen
Categories snack, cookies and bars, dessert
Time 1h
Yield 3 dozen cookies
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts or pecans out on a small baking sheet and cook in oven, shaking several times, until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. If using hazelnuts, transfer to a bowl to cool, cover with a folded dish towel, then rub off the skins. (No need to toast the pistachios.)
- Once cooled, transfer the nuts to a food processor, preferably a mini one. Add 2 teaspoons flour and pulse just until nuts are finely ground, being careful not to overprocess.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bowl as needed. Add egg yolks and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl a few times as needed.
- Add 1/2 cup ground nuts, the salt and the remaining 2 1/4 cups flour; beat on low speed just until combined, then increase speed and beat until dough starts to clump together. Scrape the bowl and fold a few times to make sure everything is well mixed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pinch off small pieces of dough the size of a rounded tablespoon (about 20 grams each) and roll the top half of each one in the remaining ground nuts. Place a few inches apart on parchment- or silicone mat-lined baking sheets. Chill in the freezer until firm, about 10 minutes.
- Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and make a thumbprint in each cookie. Bake until golden brown on the bottom, and nuts are looking toasty but not burned, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheets and transfer to wire racks to cool further. While the cookies are still a little warm, fill each one with about 1/2 teaspoon of filling, and cool completely. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
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Lee Rivera
rivera@hotmail.co.ukI'm so glad I found this recipe. These cookies are now my go-to dessert.
Tatuh Alemajoh Atem F.
atatuh@aol.comThese cookies were a bit too sweet for me, but my kids loved them.
jay love
love0@hotmail.comThese cookies are so addictive! I can't stop eating them.
robert webster
webster@hotmail.comI'll definitely be making these cookies again.
Sonja Vd westhuizen
w_s@yahoo.comI'm not sure what I did wrong, but my cookies didn't turn out as well as I hoped.
King vlogs
kingv25@hotmail.comThese cookies were perfect for my bake sale.
Koteh Basse,Tambasansang
bkoteh2@hotmail.comI'm not a big fan of sweets, but these cookies were really good.
Afsa Nisa
afsa_n75@hotmail.comThese cookies were a big hit at my holiday party.
Diamond Evans
e_diamond@hotmail.comI love the way these cookies look! They're so festive.
Jelmut Arias Loza
jelmut_a72@yahoo.comDelicious!
Cynthia Bumgardner
cynthia.bumgardner@gmail.comThese cookies were so easy to make and they turned out so well! I will definitely be making these again.
ally flourre
a-flourre@hotmail.frThese cookies were amazing! I loved the combination of the sweet cookie and the tangy jam filling. I will definitely be making these again.
Yushrie Morgan
ym21@aol.comThe cookies were a bit dry, but the filling was delicious. I would try a different recipe next time.
Amanda Cupido
amanda-cupido@hotmail.frThese cookies were a little too sweet for my taste, but they were still good. I think I would use less sugar next time.
Md Osmangoni
m.osmangoni@yahoo.comI've made these cookies several times now and they always turn out great. They're so easy to make and they're always a hit with my family and friends.
Muhammad Maaz
muhammad@yahoo.comThese cookies were delicious! The jam filling was tart and sweet, and the cookie itself was soft and buttery. I will definitely be making these again.
Calon Jansen
jansen_c@yahoo.comI made these thumbprint cookies for a party and they were a huge success. Everyone loved them! The Nutella filling was especially popular.
Mary Rice
ricem@hotmail.comThese thumbprint cookies were a hit! They were so easy to make and turned out perfectly. The dulce de leche filling was the perfect balance of sweetness and richness. I will definitely be making these again soon.