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We happened upon a weekend where we knew we wanted to make something, but we didn’t want to run out and buy any crazy ingredients. As usual, we were being our typical recession ready selves. Funny how a thin wallet can be the impetus for creativity! We had a few lone items–strawberries, almonds, port wine, bittersweet chocolate–that would be perfect for a dessert. A dessert like a cookie perhaps. The real reason we settled on cookies was due to a pound of Plugra in the fridge. Yes, the European-esque butter. Plugra for a cookie? Super. Plugra for a cookie that involves strawberries, almonds, port wine and bittersweet chocolate? Super excellent.
The world of the thumbprint is not new to us in theory. We’ve heard of them, we’ve seen them, perhaps we’ve even had a few. But we’d never made them. We took a basic buttery cookie recipe and brewed our own favorite version of a strawberry wine jelly that we’ve made many, many times before. Of course, you could use any fruit–raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc. We made these cookies with fresh berries frozen from the end of summer, so they were still naturally sweet. Now that we’re in the fall season, you could use frozen berries of course.
Chocolate & Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies – 1 1/2 dozen
Cookies (inspired by Joy of Cooking)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
Jelly
8-10 large strawberries, destemmed and quartered
1 1/2 cups port wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
Drizzle
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1. Start cookie dough by creaming butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla, mixing well.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk flour and salt. Add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
3. Pour wine into a shallow pan and add strawberries. Stir in lemon juice and wine. Cook on medium high heat until thickened, approximately 8-10 minutes. (As fruit cooks down, mash berries with a fork or spatula to speed up the process.) Remove from heat. When cool enough, transfer jelly to a small bowl, cover and set in the fridge.
4. Once dough is ready, pour egg white into a cup or small bowl and whisk until frothy. Pour nuts onto a plate or wax paper. Make balls of dough and dunk in egg white followed by a roll in the nuts.
5. Lay dough on parchment paper covered baking sheets and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until bottoms turn golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately press a hole in each cookie with your finger (if you have asbestos hands!), the back of a spoon, etc. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
6. As cookies cool, put chopped chocolate into a heat resistant bowl and set over a small pot of simmering water. Stir chocolate slightly until it’s completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and scrape into a piping bag or plastic baggie with the tip cut off.
7. Drop a dollop of jam into the center of each cookie, making sure to fill them completely. Once all of the cookies have been filled, drizzle them with chocolate. (These cookies taste great warm and even better once they’ve had a chance to cool completely and set.)
Click HERE for the printable recipe.
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Sometimes the best recipes come out of “pantry-stocked” ingredients – those cookies are evidence!! Yum
very creative and delicious..
Love recession cheap food. Been trying to hack through my pantry and cabinets and freezers to get back to manageable load of crap.
I completely forgot about thumbprint cookies. My grandma use to make them all the time and sell this as a great time to force me to sit there pressing cookies down. I think once she made it a race between my brother and I with zero prize.
oh the possibilities are endless. i like your choices though.
Yum. I love the addition of chocolate. I have SO many jars of jams and jellys from the farmers’ market that thumbprints really should be on the menu soon.
I want cookies too! The thumbprint cookies look yummy!
Angie’s Recipes
yes please! this polly wants a few of those!!! love your creativity!
I love thumbprints, especially when fall comes around. Great way to enjoy the jams made during the summer. Though I’m liking this addition of chocolate. This is just what I needed after hearing some terrible news – Gourmet magazine is going caput.
I grew up with thumb print cookies – and the picture of these little beauties remind me the holidays are coming right up!
You even made your own jelly? Very impressive!
Yes, Polly wants a cookie … and so does the Diva! Love the almonds in the cookie here, Duo, these looks soooo good!
you can put wine in my cookies any day. ha!
I want a cookie…er…cookies!! I’m pretty much the same way now-a-days. Make use of what you have rather than going out to buy. Nice job you two!
I need some milk!!
oh lord yes please!! these look so good! great job playing around with what you had on hand YUM!
Those look fantastic! I’ve never made thumbprint cookies before either, now I think I have to.
Wow… I could totally wrap my thumbs around those thumbprint cookies! I love the combination of chocolate and strawberries — like a choc covered strawberry in cookie form!
Oh my, cookies baking season already? Lot’s of people starting to post cokies. How exciting. Feel like christmas is approaching!
You are so good at improvising! The jelly sounds divine with the port wine flavoring. I’m imagining the flavor contrast with the buttery cookie and I bet it’s heavenly.
Oh , Ill take a bakers dozen, yes guiltily admitting ALL MINE!
Oh, those look so yummy, I would so love to have a few for my late night snack!
Oh, I can always go for a cookie! I agree with Veggiegirl- the best are thoe that come from what you already have in the kitchen!!
cookies cookies and more cookies
i shud try this cookie for my kids and for my self too 
hehe. love to have some during tea time 
cheers!
Wow, not only Polly but Juliana wants a cookie too
I love fruity cookies…and these look perfect.
Simple cookies but they look absolutely lovely, especially on that plate!
Yes, Polly – errr – Mardi DOES want a cookie – one of these anyway! Congrats on your nomination for the FB awards!
They look absolutely amazing.
Love those cookies-great job.
I likey! That’s one amazing improvisation and a bit risky too. I salute you!
I’m thinking something about sticking in my thumb and pulling out a cookie, but it doesn’t quite rhyme. But I will take two, please.
I just found your blog! Wish I would of found it sooner. Love it!
These look amazing! I’ve never made thumbprint cookies before, but I’m going to make these this weekend. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Congrats to you too on the foodbuzz nomination! You got my vote as well
Ah, I love thumbprint cookies so much. So delicious. That filling sounds unreal!
Ohhh Plugra, I love you so. And to top it off, there are strawberries and port. My kind of Sunday afternoon cookie.
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