Hallelujah! It's National Cookie Day and Christmas Cookie Season: Brown Butter Thumbprints!

I am of Dutch heritage and 

thank them for more than 

windmills and tulips! 

The English word "cookie" is derived from the Dutch word "koekie" meaning little cake. 

Dutch bakers used to test oven temperatures on small amounts of batter so that they wound not waste the entire cake mix if the temperature wasn't right.  It wasn't long before they discovered that these tiny pieces of cooked batter were actually quite tasty.

Modern Christmas cookies can trace their history to recipes from Medieval Europe biscuits ~ when many of the ingredients we use now, such as ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, almonds and dried fruit were introduced into the west.  

By the 16th century, Christmas biscuits were popular across Europe.  Not until the 17th century, when the Dutch brought them here, did we see the early examples of Christmas cookies in the United States.  Gingerbread cookies were among the popular early American cookies.

I for one, am thrilled this practice carried on, as cookies are my favorite sweet treat!

Cookie Monster busy baking his cookies!

In 1976, Sesame Street included National Cookie Day on its calendar for the first time on November 26.  The Cookie Monster also proclaimed his own National Cookie Day in the 1980 book The Sesame Street Dictionary.
 

Then in 1987, Matt Nader of the Blue Chip Cookie Company out of San Francisco created Cookie Day, celebrating it on today, December 4th.

There is a cookie out there for everyone, and here’s a perfect buttery cookie to add to your Christmas cookie repertoire!

I’ve made thumbprint cookies for many years, and was intrigued when I came across this recipe in the Chicago Tribune for Brown Butter Thumbprints.  

I love that the usual thumbprints are kicked up a notch by using browned butter.  Browning butter adds a new dimension to an already good kitchen staple.  It’s an easy way to change-up a recipe. And the aroma as they’re baking, is magnificent.

Browned butter gives the cookie a nutty caramel flavor that is a perfect complement to blackberry jam.  Choose the jam of your liking, we like blackberry, apricot or is fine also.  

A little cardamom goes a long way; I added one-half teaspoon to the mix; however, if cardamom is new to you, go easy with it, and use a little less for a background note.  It has a distinctive, spicy flavor, maybe a little citrusy, I think it’s great in baked goods and learned about baking with it many years ago from my Swedish MIL.

Allow for additional time when making these, as the butter will have to freeze for a short time.  Then, later, the cookies will have to be refrigerated for a while before baking. 

Give this one a go, bet you'll really like it!

Yield: About 30 cookiesAuthor: Pam

Brown Butter Thumbprints

Here's a perfect buttery cookie to add to your Christmas cookie repertoire!

ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup superfine sugar*
Gold sanding sugar, optional

1 large egg

⅓ to ⅔ cup seedless jam
Frosting, optional

instructions:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt butter in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat.

Cook, swirling the pan, until brown flecks appear and the butter smells nutty, about 7 minutes.

Pour into a heatproof bowl.

Freeze, stirring occasionally, until the butter is spreadable, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.

Beat the browned butter and ½ cup sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Beat in the egg until combined.

Reduce the mixer speed until the dough comes together.

Roll dough into 1” balls, then roll in the remaining ¼ cup sugar, or gold sanding sugar.

Arrange about 1½” apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Using the tip of your thumb, make a small indentation in the center of each cookie, without going through bottom of dough; pinching together any large cracks.

Refrigerate until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.

While refrigerating:
Preheat oven to 375°.

Fill each indentation with ½ to 1 teaspoons jam.

Bake until cookies are set and lightly browned on the bottom, about 25 minutes.

Let cool completely on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to wire racks.

Decorate with frosting, if desired.  Add a drop of red or green food coloring to white frosting, if you like variety.

notes:

*I sift regular sugar

I rolled the balls in gold sanding sugar. 

Allow 35-40 minutes freezing time for butter.

Allow 20-30 minutes refrigerator time for dough.

Baking time about 25 minutes.

Enjoy!