Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Yesterday at work, we had a cookie swap. Fun! Everyone on the team made different types of cookies, and we all went home with a an assortment of yummies. My goodie bag included chocolate chip cookies, cranberry biscotti, lemon bars, rocky road clumps, and peanut butter cookies, all made by my coworkers. I baked up a batch of jam thumbprints using the same recipe I tested with my girlfriend last week. It was from this year’s Cooks Illustrated holiday baking special. Deelish.

The recipe is so super easy, delicious, and fast. Everything was mixed and baked in an hour. If you ever need to make some fast and impressive cookies, these are sure to please.

Jam Thumbprints
From Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raspberry jam (Cooks Illustrated recommends Smucker’s Red Raspberry Preserves)
2 1/4 cup (11 1/4 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) sugar
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill small zipper-lock bag with jam. Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
2. Using hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in cream cheese, egg, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl and beaters as needed.
3. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Working with 1 1/2 teaspoons of dough at a time, roll dough into balls and lay them on prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart. Use wet thumb to make indentation in center of each cookie.
5. Bake until cookies are lightly browned around the edges and just beginning to set, about 10 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and, working quickly, gently reshape indentations with bottom of teaspoon. Snip small corner off bag of jam and carefully fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Rotate baking sheet and continue to bake until lightly golden, 12-14 minutes.
6. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let them cool completely, about 30 minutes, before serving.

Yummy!