Joy the Baker

It’s August 3, 2009 and I refuse to believe a) that summer is almost over, and b) that we’re a handful of months away from 2010.  Turns out that whether I believe or refuse to believe these two things… they’re still true.  

It’s August 3, 2009 and I will openly admit that in the past few days I’ve been stress eating like a maniac over these picnic plans.  I’m not proud.  

It’s August 3, 2009 and tonight is the night I’m going to polish off the frozen dough balls in my freezer.  Again, not proud.

It’s August 3, 2009 and I’m thinking it’s going to be really awkward when Dr Martens come back into style and I bust out my original pair that I sported back in middle school.  Yes, I still have them.  Yes, they still fit.  

It’s August 3, 2009 and among the many other things I’m thankful for today, I’m also thankful for internet shoe shopping and these beautiful thumbprint cookies.  

I like to think of these cookies as the slightly grown up version of thumbprint cookies from my youth.  

See, instead of adding a bunch of peanut butter to the cookie dough, I ground up honey roasted peanuts, added some flour, butter and sugar and baked them up.  The ground peanuts add a great texture and a subtle peanut flavor.  These cookies are crisp, almost crumbly and just lovely paired with a good quality jam.  

Consider these the thumbprint cookie for those of us who are real life grownups… maybe with a little college debt… maybe with the cheap health insurance… maybe hoping our rent check doesn’t get cashed until 7th of the month.  Grownups…. yea.  Grownups. 

Honey Roasted Peanut Thumbprint Cookies

     adapted from Baking: from my home to yours

     makes 30-34 cookies

     Print this Recipe!

1 3/4 cup finely ground honey roasted peanuts (use a food processor fit with a blade attachment)

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

powdered sugar for dusting

about 1 cup good quality jam of your choice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the upper third of the oven.  Line two baking sheets with parchment or foil and set aside

Whisk together ground peanuts and flour.  

Using a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 or 4 minutes.  Add the extract and beat to blend.  Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and gradually add the nut-flower mixture, mixing only until just incorporated.  Use a spatula to hand mix any flour or nuts that have not been mixed in thoroughly.  

Working with a scant tablespoon (just eyeball it) of dough at a time, roll the dough between your palms to form small balls and place the balls two inches apart on the cookie sheet.  Steadying each cookie with the thumb and finger of one hand, use the pinkie of your other hand to poke a hole in the center of each cookie.  Be careful.  You don’t want to press all the way down to the cookie sheet.  

Bake for 15-18 minutes.  The cookies will only be slightly colored and might even look underdone.  That’s fine.  You don’t want them overbaked. When the cookies are done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies rest on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to  cooling racks with a metal spatula.

Repeat with the remaining dough until all the cookies are baked off and cooling.  

Bring the jam to a boil in a small saucepan over low heat, or in the microwave.  Remove from heat.  Sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar and then fill the indentations (they might have smoothed over slightly during baking) with you jam of choice.  Enjoy!