I don’t have any vivid memories of my first days of school, except that my mom always managed to have warm freshly baked cookies waiting for us after school to welcome us home. It was a tradition she had learned from a friend and a tradition I am happy to carry on.
After my daughter’s first day of school I had these cookies waiting for her. Ground hazelnuts, buckwheat flour, and spelt flour give these cookies a nutty complex flavor and the cherry jam is a wonderful sweet complement to the hazelnuts.
These won’t win any beauty contests, but I appreciate their rustic, cracked, and imperfect appearance. These will keep for a few days at room temperature, but they are also good straight out the the fridge or even the freezer after they’ve become a bit more solid and have a little more chew.
Cherry and Hazelnut Thumbprints
Description
Rustic, nutty hazelnut cookies with buckwheat flour have beautiful warm flavors and are filled with a sweet cherry jam. A comforting cookie perfect for an afternoon snack.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts
- 2/3 cup buckwheat flour
- 2/3 cup spelt flour
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 fine grain sea salt
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces at room temperature
- cherry jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the hazelnuts, flours, sugar, and salt and pulse until nuts are very finely ground. Add the butter evenly over mixture and pulse again until dough just begins to come together.
- Transfer to a lightly floured board and continue working the dough with your hands until dough is cohesive. (If dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to help dough come together.)
- Taking one tablespoon of dough at a time, form dough into balls and space them at least ½-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use your thumb to create an indent in the middle of each cookie and fill each well with a heaping ½ teaspoon of jam.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies darken slightly. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool and then store in an airtight container.
Notes
adapted from Tartine Book No. 3
- Category: Dessert, Baking, Cookie
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the buckwheat flour with regular all-purpose flour?
While you can use all-purpose flour, it will change the flavor and texture of the cookies. Buckwheat flour contributes to the nutty complexity that complements the hazelnuts.
What type of cherry jam works best for these thumbprints?
Any good quality cherry jam will work, but I recommend using one with a rich flavor to enhance the overall taste of the cookies.
How should I store the cookies to maintain their texture?
You can store the cookies at room temperature for a few days, but for a firmer texture, refrigerating them or freezing them will help maintain their chewiness.
Yummy! These look very addictive!