Apricot Walnut Thumbprint Cookies

Apricot Walnut Thumbprint Cookies

These easy to make, gluten free apricot walnut thumbprint cookies have a double dose of walnuts.  They not only have finely ground walnuts in the cookie dough, they also have a sprinkling of chopped walnuts on top as well.  You might say I borrowed the idea from those little Mexican wedding cookies that are packed with walnuts.  Maybe I should have just made the wedding cookies but I was trying to use the apricot jam that has been sitting on my pantry shelf for a few months now.  The apricot jam compliments the nuttiness well and brightens up any cookie tray.  They’re also stunning served on their own as well.  OK maybe stunning is a bit much but these are great looking cookies that taste great too.  You might not be able to stop eating them once you get started.  And for those not following a gluten free diet, just use regular all purpose flour in place of the gluten free variety.       

Apricot Walnut Thumbprint Cookies

Prep time:  15 min

Cook time:   18 min

Ingredients list

• ¾ cup butter, well softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
• 1 cup of finely chopped walnuts, divided
•  ½ cup of apricot jam

Video Tutorial 


Instructions

1.    Preheat the oven to 350°F  or 175 °C

2.    Stir ¾ of the walnuts into the flour and set it aside. Reserve ¼ of the walnuts to sprinkle on top.

3.    In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat until well combined. 

4.    Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue mixing until you have a stiff dough.  It will take a few minutes if you’re doing it by hand. 

5.    Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place them onto an un-greased cookie sheet.  The dough can be a little crumbly but if you use a combined rolling and squeezing technique it will be easier.  I baked 15 cookies per pan to allow enough room for spreading.

6.    Depress the center of each cookie with either your thumb or the back of a ¼ teaspoon measuring spoon. 

7.    Fill the impressions with apricot jam.  Using that same ¼ tsp measuring spoon will give you the perfect amount. 

8.    Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the jam and bake the cookies for 18 minutes or until golden around the edges.

9.    Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing them with a spatula and transferring them onto a baking rack to cool completely. 

Notes:  The recipe makes 30 cookies but can easily be doubled or tripled.  Store the cookies in an airtight container with sheets of waxed paper between the cookie layers.  If you’re not following a gluten free diet, substitute regular all purpose flour in place of the gluten free variety.  Feel free to use other flavors of jam in place of the apricot.