TWD: Thumbprints for Us Big Guys (and Gals)

My alternative title was "Hazelnut and Pecan Thumbprints with Homemade Orange Marmalade and Strawberry Jam" but that's too dang long.

How adorable are these cookies? They are cute as a button and incredibly addictive. I've said in the past that I just don't like shortbread-type cookies, and it's true. I tried some of these when they came out of the oven and thought "Blah. Too dry. Too crumbly. Too buttery." But then....oh, but then I added homemade orange marmalade to some and strawberry jam to others. And these cookies were instantly transformed into fruity pieces of deliciousness. And I couldn't keep my buttery little hands off of them.

They are a more grown-up version of a thumbprint cookie because of the ground nuts in the dough. That, plus the 2 sticks of butter (!) makes for a very sophisticated cookie -- not too sweet and ever-so-slightly savory -- that an adult palate will find enjoyable.

I wishwishWISH I had my new camera already so I could capture how pretty these looked. The jam and marmalade were a brightly jewel-toned splash against the powdered sugar, and they just looked so cute snuggled together on the cooling rack. I opted for the marmalade ones, while Alex preferred the strawberry. I finally packaged them up and away, otherwise, he would have found me in the morning with a telltale trail of powdered sugar all over my clothes.

Awesome recipe choice, Mike. Check out his blog for the recipe.