Cherry Jam Cookies

I need this recipe in my back pocket. It’s the recipe that tricks everyone into thinking that I’m the girl with a constant supply of eggs, flour, butter and every other baking necessity constantly on hand. In reality, I often only have one egg in the fridge, and just enough butter to have to take an trip to the store.

Don’t believe me? Would I lie? Um… no.

Here’s one thing I do fib about: sleeping. I just woke up from a nap. I have sleepy nap time marks on my face… totally undeniable napping has just occurred. If you were to ask me if I just woke up from a nap, I would deny it up and down. I dunno… just a little weirdness from Joy the Baker. I prefer to think of the white lie as somehow charming, and the sleep marked face as evidence of a guilty but of so indulgent afternoon.

Enough about napping. Go check your fridge for that lone egg and stick of butter, and you must have a bit of jam in there too!

Cookies… maybe even Valentine’s Day cookies. Let’s keep it simple.

Buttery Jam Cookies

Simple and sweet. When you’re down to your last egg, this recipe is a dream come true. If you don’t have ground ginger on hand, you can skip it, or add something like cinnamon or a few drops of almond extract. For jam flavors, use any good thick jam you have on hand.

Print this recipe!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cups sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup of cherry preserves, or any thick jam you have on hand

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fit with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar and beat for a minute. Add the egg and beat for 2 minutes more. The mixture will be satiny. Add the milk and vanilla and beat just to combine. Don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled, it will even out shortly. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the jam and beat for 1 minute more. With the mixer still on low add the dry ingredients and mix only until they are incorporated. You’ll have a very thick dough.

Spoon the dough by the rounded teaspoonfuls into a dish of granulated sugar. Toss to coat and place on a baking sheet, leaving about an inch between the mounds.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cookies will be only just firm, fairly pale and browned around the edges. Pull the sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 1 minute, the carefully transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remainder of the dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

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