Apricot Filled Cookies

A teatime thumbprint cookie that lets the apricot preserves do most of the talking. The cookie itself is a simple butter-sugar-vanilla shortbread, kept tender with a low 300°F (150°C) bake that prevents browning before the dough sets. A teaspoon of apricot preserves in the thumbprint well shines like stained glass after the cookies bake.

The slow oven is the smart move here. Higher temperatures brown the cookies and reduce the jam to a sticky lacquer. At 300, the dough sets pale and tender while the preserves stay glossy and jewel-toned in the center. Watch them at the 20-minute mark; you want the edges just turning blonde, not gold.

Press the wells deep enough to hold a teaspoon of jam without overflowing onto the pan. A scant pool looks better than a flood that drips down the sides.

Pro Tips

• Soften butter to true room temperature before creaming; cold butter leaves grainy lumps in the dough
• Use a small melon baller for a tidier, more uniform thumbprint than your actual thumb
• Apricot preserves with visible fruit chunks taste richer than smooth jam; use the chunky kind when you can
• Let cookies cool completely on the sheet; the jam needs time to set up so it does not run
• Store in a single layer or with parchment between layers; stacking smears the jam

Variations

• Swap apricot for raspberry, fig, or strawberry preserves for a different fruit
• Roll dough balls in chopped almonds or pecans before pressing the well for crunch
• Drizzle with a thin powdered sugar glaze after cooling for a bakery-style finish