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| Aim high: Pomegranate Jam Hearts from Food Republik |
The holiday season is one of the only times I bake — and I have been known to get ambitious. I know I won’t make all ten of these jam-cookie recipes this year, but I’d sure like to. I’m determined to make at least a few of them. Do you have a favorite holiday cookie recipe that uses homemade preserves?
1. Pomegranate Jam Hearts from Food Republik. These cookies are over-the-top charming and so beautiful that I’m already convinced mine won’t come out looking right. But you know what? Pomegranate Champagne Jelly, that’s what. I’ve got the jelly and it’s both delicious and easy to make. I must attempt these. If they work, I can see myself including just one of them in every cookie package. True, they were originally published for Valentine’s Day, but I’m probably never going to bake cookies for Valentine’s Day. Besides, hearts are universal.
2. Mascarpone Fig Jam Cookies from Italian Food Forever. Here’s another instance where what I have in my jam cabinet is pointing to what I want to make. I think a little bit of Champagne Fig with Candied Ginger and Lemon Jam would do nicely here, though they are amenable to your “jam of choice.”
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| The appeal of the understated from Joy the Baker. |
3. Cherry Jam Cookies from Joy the Baker. I’m excited about this cherry business, but you can use other flavors, too. I like the elegant restraint of this cookie. It’s not just a jam bloobie in the middle of some dough. Um, not that I mind that . . .
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| I’m sharpening my claws to make Tigress’s Marmalade Thumbs |
4. Marmalade Thumbprint Cookies from Tigress in a Jam. This is a grown-ups thumbprint cookie. And these are at the top of my list of cookies to make, because, well, it’s marmalade. Duh. I’m planning a trio: lemon, grapefruit, and clementine.
5. Amy’s Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies at Tasty Kitchen, plus a version with added orange zest at my friend Dana’s brand-spankin’ new food blog, Brazen Bites. I know. Thumbprints, thumbprints. But I’m a freak for almond flavor and I’m liberal with the citrus zest, so these two variations on a theme really appeal to me.
6. Jam-Filled Cream Cheese Cookies from Culinary Covers. This cookie is in heavy competition for the one I want to make first. They are so damned cute, with their folded up star shape and sprinkle sugar. And they look luscious. I like Lori’s recipe because she points out a few things in the original recipe (from Everyday Food) that didn’t work and tells how to fix them.
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| The Hamantaschen are happening at Food in Jars |
7. Jam-Filled Hamantaschen at Food in Jars. I can’t spell it, but I love how friendly these cookies look to all types of jam. And Marisa’s recipes are always so comforting. Never intimidating. Don’t you love that?
8. Swiss Raspberry Preserve-Filled Sandwich Cookies from Saveur. This one came recommended from Caroline at Black Dog Farm, and if she says they’re good, I believe it.
9. Jam Sandwich Cookies from Country Living. I’ve had good luck with Country Living recipes in the past, and their fruity sandwich looks simple and versatile.
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| Gluten free can be so good, thanks to Gluten-Free Girl. |
10. Gluten-Free Jam Tart Cookies from Gluten-Free Girl. I used to try to stay away from gluten, but I’ve realized I’m really not that sensitive to it. I can eat pretty much any kind of baked goods as long as I do so in small quantities. (So easy to say, so hard to do.) Still, I would like to make these cookies. It’s great that gluten-free baking is getting to be so good that you don’t have to be gluten-free to want it.
Finally, this isn’t a cookie, but I’m going to include it because I like to make lemon curd and I like to eat lemon anything . . .
Perfect Lemon Bars from Cook’s Illustrated
Yum.
Now if Santa would please bring me a stand mixer, I’ll be all set.
What Santa will be bringing is a box of handmade organic chocolate to . . . Cookie! Isn’t that perfect? And I swear I didn’t cheat; she was lucky number 23 in the random drawing. Congratulations, Cookie! Thanks so very much to everyone who entered the chocolate giveaway.
