Lemon Blueberry Thumbprint Cookies

Lemon Blueberry Thumbprint Cookies

Lemon and blueberry have made many a duet appearance here on Rock Recipes; our Lemon Blueberry Cream Cake has been a particularly popular example. Today we have a recipe for one the lemon and blueberry lovers in a delicious and very pretty little cookie.

These are baked in two stages, the first stage to almost completely bake the cookie and the second, for just a few minutes after you add the jam to help set in and make it adhere in the little well at the center of the cookie. The turbinado sugar on the outside of the cookies is optional but I think it  does make them look more appealing. I usually split the batch and roll half the cookies in the sugar so that folks have a choice and I think the slightly look great together on the plate too.

Lemon Blueberry Thumbprint Cookies

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Lemon Blueberry Thumbprint Cookies - very pretty little lemon cookies filled with blueberry jam. A perfect cookie flavor combination.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• zest of 2 small lemons, finely minced
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• pinch salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup blueberry jam
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Cream the butter and sugar well.
2. Beat in the egg yolks and lemon extract.
3. Stir in the lemon zest.
4. Fold in the flour and salt until fully incorporated and a soft dough forms.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and roll the balls in coarse sugar. I like turbinado. (this is an optional step)
8. Place the dough balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
9. Using your finger or the handle of a wooden spoon make a deep indentation in the center of each dough ball.
10. Bake for 16-18 minutes until they start to appear golden at the bottom edges.
11. Remove from the oven and spoon blueberry jam into the centers to fill the little wells.
12. Return the cookies to the oven for 3-4 minutes.
13. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight containers.
14. These will freeze well in a single layer in a plastic container.