Baking is nice to do (jelly thumbprints are my jam)

sorry for the picture of the recipe.
I'm not typing this out

These taste so GOOOD

So baking is really nice for me. I like to make dough and shape it and put all this love into it and then receive compliments for how tasty it is. There is this one recipe that I have, that is like my signature cookie.  It comes from this book, given to me in like 1999 by my mom (and dad, but you know mom's write that part in)

Kitchen Library: Kid's Cookies : Scrumptious Recipes for Bakers Ages 9 to 13 by Susan Manlin Katzman (1999, Hardcover)
(HOLY SHIT IT'S CHEAP TO BUY RIGHT NOW!!)


This has been a staple cookie book for me. Inside, there is a recipe for Jelly Thumbprints. Shortbread cookie with sweet jam of your choice (my favorite is grape, don't judge). I recently started to sprinkle powdered sugar over them to make them prettier, but you can do without it.

I'm not one of those gab for a ton and then give you the recipe, so that's why it's above with no context, until you get down here and go, "ahhhhh that's why she's sharing."

Some tips and tricks to perfect this simple recipe:

If you wanna be cool, sub vanilla for vanilla bean paste, and then still as a small trickle of the real liquid stuff.

The recipe says you'll only use 3 Tablespoons of jelly. That's a bold faced lie. It takes as much jelly as you can stuff into a dough ball.

The secret is to make the holes large and deep so when the jelly melts, it doesn't overflow

Mix up what jellies you use. Don't just use one flavor for all of them!!

If you want firm cookies, use butter as cold as possible, fluffier cookies use warmer butter.

Wait to pull them out until you see the jelly starting to boil. It makes everything taste better!

Separate them when storing to prevent sticking, I use parchment paper. Wax paper will do in a pinch.


That's all I have for this Monday! Aren't you glad it's not another rant?!? Me too.