We love jam thumbprints! And the only thing that could make them better is to turn them into chocolate cookies. We’ve used cherry jam to give the cookies a Black Forest Cake feel. But you can use any jam or marmalade you want (just not a jelly or a preserve).
The only thing better than a jam thumbprint cookie is a CHOCOLATE jam thumbprint cookie!
Chocolate Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Makes a little more than 2 dozen
2 cups or 240 grams all-purpose or plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) or 255 grams cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for greasing the baking sheets
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons or 53 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons or 30 milliliters room-temperature water
2 3/4 cups or 315 grams walnuts pieces, finely ground
1/2 cup or 100 grams granulated white or caster sugar
1/2 cup or 107 grams packed light brown sugar
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoons or 10 milliliters vanilla extract
¾ cup or 550 grams cherry jam
Position the rack in the center of the oven; heat the oven to 375F or 190C.
Lightly butter a large baking sheet.
Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl until well combined.
Melt 5 tablespoons or 70 grams of the butter. Cool a moment, then mix in the cocoa powder, stirring to form a paste.
Beat the egg whites with the water in a small bowl until frothy.
Spread the ground walnuts on a large plate.
To make the dough, use an electric mixer at medium speed to soften the rest of the butter (13 tablespoons or 185 grams) in a large bowl.
When smooth, beat in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and pale brown. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Scrape the inside of the bowl and beat in the vanilla until smooth.
Add the chocolate paste; beat at medium until smooth.
Remove the beaters and stir in the flour mixture. The batter will be thick but soft.
Scoop out about some dough, about the size of a walnut in its shell. Roll it into a 1-inch or 2 1/2-centimeter ball. Roll this ball in the egg white mixture, then in the ground nuts. Place on the prepared baking sheet and continue making nut-coated balls, spacing them about 1½ inches or 4-centimeters apart.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, repeatedly wet your clean thumb, and press a thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Do not press through to the baking sheet. Fill each indent with about 1 teaspoon or about 15 grams of the cherry jam.
Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch, about 10 more minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool the baking sheet and butter it a second time before further batches.