Full Moon Recipe for April: Apricot Thumbprint Cookies

It’s time for another recipe! First, the recipe. Then, me blathering onward about my occasionally questionable culinary capabilities and the memories this particular treat holds for me.

• The Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (or almond)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • apricot jam or preserves
  • slivered almonds, optional
• The Way of Preparing
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F, 177°C, gas mark 4
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, and white sugar until light in color.
  3. Add the extract(s), egg, and salt and mix well until combined.
  4. Mix together the baking soda and flour; add to the butter-egg mixture.
  5. Combine until well incorporated.
  6. Dough does not require chilling once made, so scoop out and roll into 1-inch balls.
  7. Bake on a silicone mat or parchment paper lined pan for six minutes or until the edges of the cookies get very lightly golden brown. Don’t overbake!
  8. Remove the cookies from the oven and press the end of a large wooden spoon carefully into the center of each cookie. Make sure not to make the hole go all the way to the bottom.
  9. Cool on the pan for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Using a small spoon or piping bag, add warmed apricot jam to the center divots in each cookie. If garnishing with slivered almonds, add to the center of the cookie now.
  11. Allow the jam to set up completely before storing the finished cookies in an airtight container.
• Notes
  • Makes approximately 7 dozen cookies.
  • Raspberry jam also works wonderfully.

Memories:

So with this recipe, it’s actually inspired by a marzipan treat that I usually get from the bakery I’ve been going to since college, Moreno’s Bakery in Brandon, Florida. It’s an almond stick, which is a marzipan log that is covered with almonds and topped with apricot preserves. It’s so good. While I don’t get out that way very often anymore, these cookies are a wonderful stand in when made with almond extract with a touch of coconut extract.

I’ve only used them as cookies, not yet for cakes and ale, but as apricots are a love- and passion-associated fruit, they’re great for post-spell pick me ups.

Recipe source: BackForSeconds.com.