Bake And Slice Thumbprint Cookies Food

EASY-BAKE OVEN THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Stir together powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, water and flour until the flour disappears.
• Roll the dough between your fingers and make 12 small balls, 1/2 inch each.
• Place a few balls at a time on an ungreased sheet or pan with space between them.
• Press your thumb into the middle of each ball to make a thumb print.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes, then remove.
• Repeat until all the cookies are baked. When the cookies are cool, fill each thumb print with jelly.
• Makes 12 cookies.

CHOCOLATE PECAN SLICE AND BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugars and orange zest, if using, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and egg white and beat well to combine.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, kosher salt and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate and pecans.
• Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and stir just until combined.
• Divide the cookie dough into four equal pieces, roll each into a 15-centimeter (6-inch) log and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the cookie dough in the freezer for at least 4 hours or for up to 2 months.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice off as many cookies as you'd like to bake into 1-centimeter (1/2-inch) thick rounds and place on the baking sheet leaving 2 centimeters (1 inch) in between each.
• Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt, if using, then bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

BUTTER AND JAM THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
• In another bowl, whip the butter and the sugar with a hand-held mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing just until incorporated.
• Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls with a cookie or ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about 1/2-inch deep. Fill each indentation with about 3/4 teaspoon jam.
• Bake cookies until the edges are golden, about 15 minutes. (For even color, rotate the pans from top to bottom about halfway through baking.) Cool cookies on the baking sheets. Serve.
• Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

SANTA SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookie dough: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Add the butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed, scraping down the bowl at least once, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and 1 egg and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and continue to beat for 30 seconds.
• Remove 1/3 cup of the dough to a small bowl. Add about 1/4 teaspoon black food coloring and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Add about 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring to the dough remaining in the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl at least once. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Place the red dough on a lightly floured clean work surface and roll it into a 7-inch log with a 2-inch diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap and place back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Place the black dough on a lightly floured clean work surface and roll or flatten it into a 7-by-2-inch rectangle, 1/4-inch thick. Wrap with plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl for the egg wash.
• Remove both doughs from the refrigerator. Slice the red log in half lengthwise. Lightly brush the flat end of one half with egg wash. Place the black dough onto it to adhere. Lightly brush the flat end of the other red half with egg wash and place it on top of the black dough. (If the dough softens and becomes difficult to work with, simply place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.) Wrap the log with plastic wrap and lightly roll it back and forth to round out the sides. Refrigerate the log for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Trim about 1/4 inch from each end of the log to reveal an even and flat Santa. Cut the log into 24 equal slices that are about 1/4-inch thick. Make sure to clean the knife after each slice for a clean cut so the colors won't bleed on each other. (If the log softens and becomes difficult to work with, simply place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.)
• Arrange 12 cookies evenly on each prepared baking sheet. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, 14 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
• For the royal icing: Add the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 1 tablespoon water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high for 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed. If the icing is too thick, add 1 more teaspoon of water and beat until combined. Transfer to a small pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (size 4).
• Pipe a white collar on the top half of the cookie. Sprinkle it with white sprinkles. Pipe buttons on the red coat and the black belt. Pipe a square buckle in the middle of the black belt.

RAINBOW SLICE-AND-BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and gradually beat in the flour mixture until the dough just comes together.
• Divide the dough into 6 pieces: 2 large pieces (about 7 ounces each), 2 medium pieces (about 5 ounces each) and 2 small pieces (about 3 ounces each). Tint 1 large piece of dough red and the other orange, kneading the food coloring into the dough with gloved hands or a rubber spatula. Tint 1 medium piece of dough yellow and the other green. Tint 1 small piece of dough blue and the other purple.
• Using gloved hands, roll the purple dough into a 7-inch log (about 3/4-inch-thick) on a floured sheet of parchment paper; set aside. Using a rolling pin, roll out the remaining pieces of dough into rectangles on separate floured sheets of parchment paper, dusting with more flour as needed: 3 1/2 by 7 inches for blue; 5 by 7 1/2 inches for green; 6 by 8 inches for yellow; 7 by 8 1/2 inches for orange; 8 by 9 inches for red.
• Tightly wrap the blue dough around the purple log, keeping the dough in a log shape; pinch the seam to close. Continue wrapping the log with the dough: green, then yellow, orange and red. Wrap the whole log in plastic wrap; freeze until very firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the ends of the dough log, then slice into 3/8-inch-thick rounds. Slice each round in half. Arrange about 1 inch apart on 2 unlined baking sheets and refrigerate until ready to bake, at least 15 minutes.
• Bake, one pan at a time, until the cookies are just set around the edges and golden on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, put the candy melts in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe small clouds on the ends of each rainbow. Let set, at least 5 minutes.

BAKE-SALE THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• In another bowl, whip the butter and the sugar with a hand-held mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients, in 2 additions, mixing just until incorporated.
• Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls with a cookie or ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about 1/2-inch deep. Fill each print with about 3/4 teaspoon of jam.
• Bake cookies until the edges are golden, about 15 minutes. (Rotate the pans, from top to bottom, about halfway through baking for even color.) Cool cookies on the baking sheets. Serve.
• Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Beat margarine and sugar together until fluffy; add vanilla and egg and beat well.
• Stir in flour and baking powder.
• Roll into balls and press thumb into the middle of the cookie, fill with half a tsp or so of jelly.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

NO-BAKE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Soak dates in warm water to cover for 10-15 minutes.
• Grind oats in a blender or food processor.
• Pour into a bowl and set aside.
• Place dates in the food processor with 1/2 cup of soaking liquid and puree.
• Add to oats, along with almond butter, coconut, orange zest and juice, and spices.
• Knead together until a dough is formed.
• Form into balls and press down in middle with thumb.
• Place a small amount of preserves in the indentation.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.