Almond Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Sometimes cupcakes, brownies and chocolate simply don't cut it. So, on the long Easter weekend I found myself not craving chocolate, but definitely craving something sweet. Preferably chewy and crunchy too.

Finding myself strapped for time I whizzed through my cook books, as I knew I'd find far too many delicious looking recipes on the net, and found a recipe for Thumbprint cookies in Cupcakes & Cookies thanks to the always fabulous Australian Women's Weekly.

I set about cracking eggs, substituting and weighing gluten-free flours, cracking eggs, rolling dough into balls, and finally, plopping jam into the little holes on top. They smelt divine and came out of the oven with 10 minutes to spare before we had to leave. My girlfriend (who happens to be pregnant and whom is very appreciative of sweet deliveries) was expecting us in 15 minutes to help finish their nursery in preparation for the impending birth of a little blue bundle. We made it in the nick of time. Yes, there was possibly sticky warm jam cookies that had stuck together on the crazy drive over, but boy were they good. I highly recommend eating these as soon as possible after being removed from the oven. Light, slightly sweet and crunchy with a dollop of sticky jam on top = the perfect cookie to me!

Gluten Free Almond Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 20

90g butter, softened

80g castor sugar

70g buckwheat flour

40g brown rice flour

30g almond meal

1 egg yolk

1tsp vanilla essence

1/4tsp baking powder

1/8tsp xantham gum

1/4cup of your favourite jam - I used Bonne Maman’s Strawberry Jam

Preheat oven to 150 Degrees Celcius. Line two cookie trays with baking paper.

Beat butter, vanilla, sugar and yolk until just combined. Add sifted flours, baking powder, gum and almond meal and mix well. Roll dough (about 1 tablespoon at a time) into balls and place onto lined tray with approximately 5cm between each.

Using a large wooden spoon handle press holes approximately 1cm deep into the rolled cookie dough. Using a teaspoon dollop jam into the holes until just filled.

Bake for approximately 20-25minutes. Cool cookies on the trays.

Note: These cookies do get bigger and the amount of jam looks a little small so as soon as they come out of the oven top up the jam. By doing so whilst the biscuit is hot the jam will warm up and become that lovely sticky consistency.