by Leah Smith
50 minutes
DURATION
25 minutes
COOK TIME
30 minutes
PREP TIME
2 dozen cookies
SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups flaked coconut
- 12 to 24 tablespoons Quince Jelly (or preserve of your choice)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease two baking sheets and set them aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add egg and mix until fluffy. Add milk and extracts and mix again.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Add to butter-sugar mixture and beat just until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl, and stir in coconut.
- With your hands, form dough into 24 large balls and divide them onto baking sheets. With your thumb or a small spoon, make indentations on the top of each ball. Drop 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of jelly onto the indentation of each cookie.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until edges of cookies are beginning to brown. Remove from oven, allow cookies to set for 2 minutes, and then remove from sheets to cool on wire rack.
These cookies are heavy on the coconut. They have something of an outer crust to them, making them ideal for thumbprints. They have the best storability of any thumbprint I know!
Jam and Jelly Pairings
Here are a few of my other favorite jam and jelly recipes, paired with some of the baked goods that show them off to great advantage. Feel free to come up with your own combinations, based on your personal preferences.
- Coconut Thumbprint Cookies with Quince Jelly
- Teatime Muffins with Blueberry Rhubarb Jam
Leah Smith is a freelance writer and gardener. She works on her family’s Michigan farm, Nodding Thistle, where they produce and preserve much of their own food. Contact her at NoddingThistle@gmail.com.
