13.6.12

Almond Butter Jam-prints


Whenever I tell people I'm from Minnesota they always say "Isn't it FREEZING there?" Sure, it gets freezing. But guess what else. It gets boiling hot in the summer. 

When it gets up to 100º the last thing I want to do is turn on my oven. This has led me to discover something new and exciting: night baking. It's much quieter and cooler at night and baking becomes this kind of meditative activity. It's just you and the cookie dough.


And maybe a cat or two.


It's really quite lovely.

The only problem? The next day when I go to photograph the cookies, the batch I made last night is magically smaller... I blame the cookie gnomes. Cookie gnomes love these sweet and salty jam thumbprints almost as much as I do.


Almond Butter Jam-prints

makes 1 dozen

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup maple syrup 
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped
jam or jelly of your choice (I used blueberry pomegranate jelly from the farmers market. It was delicious! I highly recommend blueberry or blackberry to go with the almond butter flavor)

1. Preheat the oven to 350º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Mix together the almond butter, maple syrup, oil and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Add the dry mixture into the wet and stir until fully incorporated. 
3. Place your chopped almonds in a small dish. Form the cookie dough into about 1" round balls and roll each ball in the almonds. Align the balls on the baking sheet and press your thumb into each one to make a little well for the jam. Bake for 15-17 minutes.
4. Let the cookies cool for about 15 minutes, then fill each with roughly 1/2 teaspoon of jam or jelly. Enjoy and don't let the cookie gnomes get them! (They are a real thing, I promise)


In the words of my brother, these cookies "are like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but better." True.

15 comments:

  1. It has been SO long since I made a thumbprint cookie. I need to step it up. Also blueberry pomegranate jam?! That sounds so phenomenal.

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    1. It was the jam that inspired me to make these! I need to figure out how to make that flavor from scratch.

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  2. I used to night bake all the time in Atlanta in my apartments without out A/C--I miss it! Always so relaxing & different.

    Your thumbprint cookies look amazing, love the almond-angle!

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    1. Thanks, Jes! Yeah, no A/C in my house either. Night baking is a must.

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  3. THese look lovely! I love all the little almond bits in the dough and blueberry pomegranate jam! I need to get my hands on some of that!

    I love night-baking too, and you are so right- it is very meditative. :-)

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    1. Thank you, Kristy! I'm going to try to recreate the jam I bought, maybe I'll have a recipe for you soon :)

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  4. The cat pic made me laugh out loud! Wish I had a such a cute kitty to keep me company in some night baking stints!

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    1. Yes my cat Lucy is the best for night baking company... too bad she won't always taste test whatever I'm making. Not sure if sugar is really her thing. If I was baking fish cookies, however, she would be super excited :)

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  5. Night baking. I love it! And I love being a cookie gnome.

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  6. Ruby, thanks for sending a few of these with your mom the other day. Scrumptious. And haunting. I may have to make some more. . .

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    1. Your welcome, Joyce! So glad you enjoyed them.

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  7. This is me sharing with you the 100 degree Minnesota days. I go to school at the University of Minnesota and I'm here for the summer. Isn't it sad when you want to bake but you know you shouldn't so as to not absolutely torture everyone else in your house? Super sad day. Also, that cat. That cat is a fuzzy cat.

    a-few-good-things.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Danie! I love meeting fellow Minnesotans to complain about the weather with, haha. Sometimes I do just decide to bake anyway during the day and tell the people in my house the result is worth the torture :)
      And yes I have some of the fuzziest cats around.

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  8. Anonymous14.11.12

    Oh my goodness!!!

    I've been looking for this recipe for ages! I am so so excited to try it out here at home (now that the temperatures have dropped, I feel like I have to bake daily just to keep the house warm :) ) Thank you and happy to find your blog too :)

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    1. Thanks, Katie! I know the feeling in the winter. Baking everyday is a must- it keeps the house warm AND smelling delicious :)

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