Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book - Bruce Weinstein [38]
Recommended storage
3 days at room temperature
Not recommended for freezing when filled; the plain wafers can be stored for up to 3 months in the freezer
CHOCOLATE JAM THUMBPRINTS
Traditionally, thumbprint cookies are nut-studded cakey clouds, each holding a drop of jam. Here, we’ve reinvented them to become chocolate walnut cookies—but still with that characteristic dab of jam.
MAKES A LITTLE LESS THAN 3 DOZEN COOKIES
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for greasing the baking sheets
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed, sifted
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons room-temperature water
23/4 cups walnut pieces, finely ground (yielding about 2 ups)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup cherry jam
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a large baking sheet and set aside.
2. First, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl until well combined; set aside. Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a microwave or a small saucepan set over low heat; cool a moment or two, then mix in the cocoa powder, stirring until a firm paste forms—set this mixture aside as well. Beat the egg whites with the water in a small bowl until frothy; set aside. Finally, place the ground walnuts on a large plate.
3. To make the dough, use an electric mixer at medium speed to soften the remaining butter (13 tablespoons, or 1 stick plus 5 tablespoons) in a large bowl. When it’s smooth but still cool, add the granulated sugar and the brown sugar and beat until light, pale brown, and airy, a little less than 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla until smooth.
4. Add the prepared chocolate paste; beat until smooth, about 1 minute at medium speed. Then remove the beaters and stir in the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. The batter will be thick but quite soft. Stir only until the flour is incorporated, not until the batter starts to change color.
5. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the dough and roll it into a 1-inch ball. Roll this ball in the egg-white mixture, then in the ground nuts. Place on the prepared baking sheet and continue making nut-coated balls, spacing them about 11/2 inches apart on the sheet. Bake for 5 minutes.
6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and press a thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Wet your thumb to protect it from the heat of the cookie, then gently but firmly press down into the cookie, first straight down, then nudging and bending your thumb until it flattens somewhat, thereby creating a well and cracking the sides of the cookie. Do not press through to the baking sheet. Alternatively, you can use the handle of a wooden spoon to make this indentation, although you might have to move it around to get a well the size of your thumbprint. Fill each indent with 1 teaspoon cherry jam.
7. Bake for about 10 more minutes, or until the cookies are firm to the touch. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the baking sheet for 5 minutes and butter it a second time before proceeding with additional batches—or use a second buttered baking sheet that hasn’t already been in the oven.
Recommended storage
4 days at room temperature between sheets of wax paper
Not recommended for freezing
Make It Your Own!
This cookie has endless variations, achieved simply by altering the jam used, from blueberry to rawberry hubarb, from grape to orange marmalade. And don’t neglect exotic