“Fear less, hope more. Eat less, chew more. Whine less, breathe more. Talk less, say more. Love more, and all good things will be yours.”- Swedish Proverb
Hallongrotta. It's a Swedish dessert that, when directly translated, means “raspberry cave,” but may be more commonly known as thumbprint cookies. They’re sugary, buttery, and have a center of sweet jam. Traditionally, hence the name, the jam in the center would be raspberry. But any type of jam is delicious with these treats. Strawberry, cranberry, lemon, apricot, or blueberry are all good choices.
The best thing about thumbprint cookies is they are quick and easy to make. Simply start by creaming the butter and sugar, followed by adding eggs, vanilla, and flour. After that is all about the shaping. You may decide to add a little bit more sugar to these sweeties after you roll the dough into balls. This also adds some crunch to the cookies after they are baked, but they don’t necessarily need them.
Next is to add the jam. Some bakers like to create the wells in the cookies, bake them, and then add the jam, but I do not like this. When the cookies come out of the oven, it is nice to have the jam nice and warm. It is best that a jam is set, and not runny like a jelly. A thicker jam will ensure that it will not run or spread out on the cookie. My favorite jams to use when making thumbprint cookies is an apricot jam and a special jam by Terrapin Ridge, which is a Blueberry Bourbon Pecan. It is sweet, and yet has the kick of bourbon while also adding another texture of crunchy pecans, delicious!
I recommend these sweet treats be enjoyed with some tea. If you have a sweet tooth like me, a black-vanilla tea goes well. Because it is a simple recipe it is fun to do with kids, or with friends and family. The full recipe makes a lot of cookies, but trust me you won’t want to half it. Thumbprint cookies are small and will go quickly in a household or when shared with friends. Enjoy!
Makes about 25-30 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) sea salted butter
2/3 cup of sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
Approx. ½ cup of jam
Steps
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Cream together butter and sugar until a pale color, and is well incorporated.
Add in egg yolks, one at a time and beat until combined. Add in vanilla extract.
Slowly add flour until a dough forms (Note: the mixture will start out crumbly but after mixing thoroughly, will form into a malleable dough).
Form cookies into small balls until smooth. If you would like to, roll the balls in some sugar. This will not only add sweetness but some crunch to the cookies when baked.
Place the dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and push your thumb into the center, creating a well.
Place approximately 1 teaspoon of jam into the center of each cookie and put the baking sheet into the oven.
Bake for 14 minutes, or until the cookies are a light golden brown.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Eat while still warm, and enjoy.