12 days of christmas baking - day 5: jam thumbprints

hello there! here is day 5's recipe – jam thumbprints. i have to say they are for sure some of my favorite things this time of year. i went through the entire holiday season last year without making these goodies because there were so many other recipes i wanted to try last time. but this year, i'm not skipping out on these guys again. they are so, so good. i love how buttery the cookies are and those coconut flakes/pieces gives you that nice added crunch.

this particular jam thumbprint recipe is near and dear to my heart. it was one of the first cookie recipes i ever baked when i started baking several years back. after having c and being home during the holidays, i watched so many food network cooking shows, ina garten's barefoot contessa to be more precise. i couldn't help it but pick up my mother-in-law's hand mixer and try ina's jam thumbprint recipe out. and i'm so glad i did because this recipe is for sure my favorite by far of all jam thumbprint recipes. i've tried others since, but have always gone back to this one. i think it must be the added coconut or something that does it. or maybe that it's more like a shortbread. whatever it is, it's very good.

so below's the recipe if you'd like to give these a try. i'm sure you'll fall in love with it just like i did. enjoy and happy baking this holiday season! :)


these jam thumbprints are so, so good. it's like a buttery shortbread cookie with toasted coconut flakes.


these thumbprint cookies are just some of my favorite things this time of year.

jam thumbprints
recipe from ina garten of the food network

ingredients:

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• 7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
• Raspberry and/or apricot jam (you can use any jam you have around, i used blackberry and apricot)

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

makes about 4 dozen cookies.

check out last year's day 5 recipe: mrs. jew's crispy cookies

raspberry jam french macarons

it's been a while since i've made french macarons. actually, these ones here i made last month for sabrina and andrew's one-year wedding anniversary. there wasn't a whole lot because i only made half the recipe. i of course, made her favorite ones as well, the coffee nutella, in addition to the salted caramel macarons as well. but needless to say, i thought the raspberry jam ones turned out fabulous. actually, all of them did. i personally love raspberry jam, so raspberry jam as a french macaron filling is just yummy.

below's the recipe should you want to make some. it's pretty simple so i say if you'd like to make some, go ahead. nothing too fancy, just a little gel or powder food coloring to add some color to your cookie shells and filling it with your favorite jam, store-bought or homemade.

okay, enjoy! :)


i love raspberry jam. so raspberry jam in a french macaron cookie is just a great creation. seriously, so good. :)


these french macarons do make for the perfect gift.

raspberry jam french macarons

ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 tsp red or pink gel food coloring
raspberry jam (or any jam of your choice), store-bought or homemade

directions:

to make the macaron batter/shells:

1. line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready.
2. sift together the powdered sugar and almond meal so there are no lumps. set aside.
3. in the bowl of a standing electric mixer (or if you prefer, you can use a bowl and hand mixer), beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. while whipping, beat in the sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
4. add in the gel food coloring. then carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. when the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons. then let it sit for at least 30-60 minutes depending on humidity before baking them in the oven. about 10-15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. bake for 15 minutes.
7. once macaron shells are out of the oven, let them sit for 30-60 seconds before removing the hot baking sheet underneath. let the macarons cool completely before removing them from the parchment paper.

to assemble the macaron cookies:

1. before assembling these cookies, make sure to pair up all the cookie shells so they are as close as possible in size.
2. using a knife, spread a good amount of raspberry jam (or any jam really, of your choice) on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
3. let them stand at least one day (keep them refrigerated) before serving (serve at room temperature), to meld the flavors.

store in airtight container for up to 5 days. makes 20-24 macarons. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)

traditional english scones with clotted cream and jam

over the weekend during one of my grocery shopping outings i came upon some clotted cream. i know, clotted cream in an american grocery store!?!! i mean seriously, i have never ever seen or even knew what one of those things look like. i've shopped in mini british shops where they usually have british goodies (typically your jams, candies, chocolates, etc) or the international aisle in grocery stores, but had never came across any clotted cream until this weekend. sure, i've heard plenty about them in my household, but had never had the opportunity to taste them – i know! even after being in england last year and the time before that as well down in cornwall (yes, i was in cornwall and i didn't even get to eat scones with clotted cream!). anyway, long story short, i bought one jar of clotted cream right off the bat. of course, i actually put two in my basket then decided i would only need one and if i needed more, i could come back for more. sadly, i went back the next night and they all disappeared. i was so disappointed. i swore i saw at least 6-8 jars of them still on the shelf. really, who came and bought them all? i mean, within a 24-hour time span? seriously!!?! i couldn't believe my eyes when i went back and discovered they were all gone. i didn't bother asking the store about them because i knew they wouldn't have any left. if it was gone, it was gone. boo hoo. i know i will be very sad when all the clotted cream is gone or when we have to throw it out (because it's only good for 5 days once you've opened it) because i don't know when i'll get to have it again, especially here in the states. ahhh! that just mean we have to plan a trip to england. hehe ;)

now, that very night i got the clotted cream i came home and baked up a batch of your traditional english scones. yes, the ones where there aren't any eggs in them. actually, there are so many scone recipes out there, some with eggs, some without, some with no butter and just cream and some with butter but no cream (milk instead)… lots! i did a quick search online and came across one on bbc good food website. this one sounds simple enough and i had all the ingredients needed so i went ahead and made some. i have to say, the scones right out of the oven, still hot or okay, maybe warm after it'd cooled a little bit with some raspberry jam and clotted cream spread on was just the perfect late night snack. hahaha, yes, late night because by the time i finished baking, it was about 10pm! and yes, i couldn't wait, i had to have one right away. it was so good. so, what does clotted cream taste like? i think it's sort of like a thick heavy whipping cream. like super thick and very, very creamy. you could almost substitute whipping cream for it, but then again, it's not quite the same. but i think for the most part, it will do the job – it'd just be a tad lighter since it won't be as thick. i have to say, the combination of the jam and clotted cream in the scone was just delicious. if you've never had clotted cream before, i say it's a must try anytime you get a chance to have it. so. good. i know i will make sure i eat plenty of scones with jam and clotted cream the next time i'm in england.

below's the recipe should you want to make some scones for that late night snack (okay, afternoon tea or morning brunch/breakfast?!). this recipe's pretty simple so you can whip it up quickly. i've converted everything to american measurements so it's easier for us americans. i say use the cups measurements if you're making it, it's a whole lot easier. of course, if you want the actual UK measurements, i've included that as well. so make some and let me know what you think. enjoy and happy baking. :)


i love how these traditional english scones turned out. they're sort of like an american biscuit but with a hint of sweetness. and of course, nice and buttery – and perfect with clotted cream and jam!


jam and clotted cream with these english scones are just the perfect treat for any time of day. i, of course, had it for breakfast today, yesterday and the day before that. yum!

traditional english scones
recipe from bbcgoodfood

ingredients:

• 2 cups (225g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons (30g) caster sugar
• 4 tablespoons (55g) butter
• 1/3 cup (55g) raisins or sultanas (optional)
• 2/3 cup (150ml) milk
• milk or egg wash*, for brushing

directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350° F (200C/fan 180C/gas 6). Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar in a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the raisins or sultanas, if using.
2. Bit by bit, add 150ml milk until you have a firm dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface. Pat the dough into a circle about 1/2 in (1 1/2 cm) thick and cut out the scones (I used 2-1/2 in biscuit cutters). optional: if you like, you can put your scones in the freezer for 15 minutes to let them set before putting them in the oven. i hear it's supposed to harden the butter so when you bake it, it actually makes your scones a bit more flaky and yummy. i personally couldn't be bother to do that for this recipe here because i didn't have the patience or time to.
3. Put onto a non-stick baking sheet and brush the tops with milk or egg wash. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve with butter, or jam and cream.

*random note: i think i prefer egg wash over milk. having made this recipe twice in the last two days, the egg wash definitely helps the scones come out of the oven looking more brown or like it's been baked than the milk. the first time i made it i just brushed the scones with milk and they came out looking all pasty like it wasn't ready (baked) when really it was. so i say use egg wash and make your scones look scrumptious! :)

enjoy! makes about 8 scones. happy eating! :)

meyer lemon curd

in my last food blog post, the angel food cake cupcakes with strawberries and cream one, i mentioned that i still had these egg yolks i need to put to use or throw away. well, i'm glad to say i did not throw them away. i actually got around to making some lemon curd with them. meyer lemon curd actually. okay, i guess it doesn't make a whole lot of a difference whether you use the regular lemons or meyer lemons. it'll still turn out pretty tart-y delicious. either that or my tastebuds aren't that great and can't taste the difference.

i think lemon curd is actually one of the easiest things to make and there's just no way one can mess up while making it. i mean, you just throw everything together in a saucepan on medium heat and stir until it comes together. then strain it through a sieve. easy peasy, right?! i think so. not only is it easy to make, it's super versatile. i mean, you can use your curd and spread it on a nice piece of toast in the morning for breakfast (like i did in the pics), use it as a cupcake or macaron filling, as mini tarts or add in some butter and make it a cream tart or even as a twist to your good old classic s'mores. i've actually seen pinterest pins of lemon curd s'mores. they look really tasty and i cannot wait to try it when i get around to having a s'mores craving. actually, come to think of it, i should definitely try it out since i do have a bag of open marshmallows hanging around my pantry. might as well use that up before it goes bad.

below's the recipe for this yummy meyer lemon curd. i grabbed it from one of my MIL's cookbooks. it's an ancient looking one with just all text, but i have to say, some of the recipes in there are delicious. maybe one of these days i'll go through it and pick certain ones out and make them and take (gorgeous) photos of the outcome. i bet they would look scrumptious. hehe ;) yeah, we'll see about that. one of these days, maybe.

okay, so i love my lemon curd pretty sour. the more tart it is, the better. the original recipe actually calls for 6 oz of sugar but i only put in half of it. of course, if you like yours sweet, then maybe add more sugar than i did or go all the way up to the 6 oz. personally, i would just hang out at 2-3 oz. up to you anyway. let me know what you think if you do make this. enjoy! :)


who doesn't love lemon curd? these meyer lemons make the perfect curd for morning toasts, afternoon tea sandwich cookies or yummy cupcake fillings.

meyer lemon curd

ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3-6 oz granulated sugar (about 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup, use the higher amount if you like your lemon curd sweet, less if you're like me and prefer it more on the tart side)
• 1/3 cup meyer lemon juice (it took me 2-1/2 good size meyer lemons, you may need more or less depending on yours)
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 egg white

directions:
combine all ingredients in a saucepan and put it over medium heat. stir the mixture until it reaches a honey-like consistency. turn off the heat and strain the lemon curd using a sieve. store in an airtight container. keep refrigerated.

makes about a cup. enjoy and happy eating! :)