Mock Thumbprints
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 21, 2007
Time
1 hour, plus 20 minutes standing
Yield
Makes about 4 dozen
Ingredients
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour ¼ cup cornstarch 2 teaspoons baking powder Pinch table salt 2 egg yolks 3 tablespoons light cream 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup granulated sugar 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or silicone paper.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix yolks, cream, and vanilla together in a measuring cup.
- Cream sugar with butter and shortening until lightened and pasty. Beat yolk mixture into creamed butter until just combined.
- Add dry ingredients and beat until mixture begins to clump together (about 18 to 20 seconds on lowest speed of electric mixer).
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to shape into a soft dough. (Can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.)
- Divide dough into eighths. Roll a portion into a 12-inch log and place on prepared cooking sheet. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a deep indentation down the center of each log. Repeat with remaining dough , placing each log about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake, remaking the indentation once during the baking if necessary, until cookies are golden, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to a cookie sheet to cool. Pipe or spoon about 2 tablespoons jam per cookie down the center of each warm cookie. Let stand until jam sets. Cut each cookie diagonally into 1 1/2 to 2-inch bars.
Time
1 hour, plus 20 minutes standingYield
Makes about 4 dozenIngredients
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a holiday cookie dough recipe that could be shaped into a variety of rich and tender cookies. When we added some cornstarch, which tenderized the dough, we had our perfect butter cookie recipe.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or silicone paper.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix yolks, cream, and vanilla together in a measuring cup.
- Cream sugar with butter and shortening until lightened and pasty. Beat yolk mixture into creamed butter until just combined.
- Add dry ingredients and beat until mixture begins to clump together (about 18 to 20 seconds on lowest speed of electric mixer).
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to shape into a soft dough. (Can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.)
- Divide dough into eighths. Roll a portion into a 12-inch log and place on prepared cooking sheet. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a deep indentation down the center of each log. Repeat with remaining dough , placing each log about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake, remaking the indentation once during the baking if necessary, until cookies are golden, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to a cookie sheet to cool. Pipe or spoon about 2 tablespoons jam per cookie down the center of each warm cookie. Let stand until jam sets. Cut each cookie diagonally into 1 1/2 to 2-inch bars.
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