Love in the Kitchen - making fast, healthy, homegrown meals you'll enjoy

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Candy Apple Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies are wonderful shortbread cookies with a dab of jam or jelly for a little flavor delight.  And they can be modified quite easily to give you whatever flavor you would like.

The easiest way to get the flavor you would like is simply to use that kind of jam.  But what if you can't find the right kind of jam?  Then you might want to add something to the cookie itself.  Maybe you'd like chocolate raspberry thumbprint cookies - add cocoa to the shortbread cookie dough and use raspberry jam.  Or try something really creative - savory thumbprint cookies... cut back on the sugar in the dough, add a bit of extra butter and fill with cheese or perhaps a bit of habanero peach ketchup!




I took a basic shortbread recipe and modified it so that I would have a great vehicle for my Apple Cinnamon Jelly.  Give these a try - I think you'll like them!


Candy Apple Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 apple, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • Apple Cinnamon Jelly



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour,  baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add vanilla, grated apple and walnuts and mix on low to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. If using nuts, dip the balls into the egg whites then roll them into the nuts until covered. Place the balls on parchment lined cookie sheets.  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 jelly.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firm, and slightly browned at the edges.




Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet to firm up before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.





Buttery shortbread cookies, with moist apples and candy cinnamon topping.  They remind me of a candy apple in a cookie.  One of these a day might be just what the doctor ordered!


Zentmrs
Pin It

6 comments:

  1. These sound amazing! I have a cupboard full of jam, I'm going to have to try these.

    I would love if you would link your cookies up to the Fall Into the Holidays blog hop-

    http://redcrowgreencrow.wordpress.com/2012/09/30/fall-into-the-holidays-4/

    Katie @ Horrific Knits

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Iron Chef Mom Team would love to invite you to join us this week with this fabulous apple recipe and any others you might want to enter into the contest!
    The Iron Chef Mom Team :)
    http://www.cheeriosandlattes.com/iron-chef-mom-1-apples/

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm so glad that I'm following you! These look soooo good. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe:)

    Katie
    www.funhomethings.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. This looks delicious! Perfect for fall. Thanks for sharing at Foodie Friends Friday!

    ReplyDelete
  5. How fun. I love that you can put whatever jelly you want to use. thanks for sharing this on foodie friday.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the candy apple theme. These look delicious. Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete