Thumbprints For Us Big Guys (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays With Dorie selection is Thumbprints For Us Big Guys, and these delicate shortbread cookies are all grown up with the addition of ground hazelnuts (or another nut) and jam.

As I have been making up for lost time tasting (or more accurately devouring) all of the TWD treats that I tucked away in the freezer during my 3 week detox, I was definitely feeling a little overloaded with the sweets. I cut this recipe in half, and made the cookies bigger than Dorie directed and yielded 16 "big guy" sized cookies. I set aside a couple of cookies and the rest will head to my hub's work.

While I was rummaging through the freezer to find these brownies and these chocolate chip cookies, I stumbled upon a bag of hazelnuts so had to use them in this recipe (mental note: clean out the freezer!). Instead of raspberry jam, I used bosenberry jam.

These cookies were buttery, delicate and tender and was a perfect afternoon snack with a cup of tea.

If you'd like the recipe, make sure to visit Mike's blog, Ugly Food Dude.

Buttery Jam Cookies (TWD rewind)

I've been meaning to write about this cookie eons ago, as this recipe for Buttery Jam Cookies was a Tuesdays With Dorie selection back in December 2008. Can we say that I'm just slightly overdue?

It is a pretty simple and straightforward butter drop cookie with a bit of jam mixed into the dough. I always have several open jars of jams and preserves sitting in the fridge (what can I say, I enjoy variety with my morning toast), so this is a perfect cookie to bake in a moment's notice. For my first try, I went with apricot jam. Next time, I will have to try strawberry-rhubarb.

I really enjoyed this cookie - soft, buttery with slight hint of jammy sweetness. This is not one of the those rich, decadent in-your-face kinda cookies. The flavors are subtle, and it is the perfect accompaniament with an afternoon cup of tea.

For the complete recipe, please visit Heather's blog, Randomosity And The Girl.

Linzer Sables (TWD)

Tis the season...I LOVE this time of year! Yes, I'm one of those crazy lunatics that loves to decorate the house top to bottom, play holiday music every chance I get (and successfully drive my hubby crazy), shop til I drop, and bake to my heart's content for family and friends.

Linzer Sables are a perfect seasonal choice for this week's Tuesdays With Dorie. Selected by Noskos of Living The Life, these darling looking cookie gems are tender, nutty and so flavorful.I followed the recipe as written, with hazelnuts as my ground nut choice. I would definitely recommend freezing the rolled sheets of cookie dough before cutting, as the dough is really sticky and tough to work with otherwise. To get a nice golden brown color, I reduced the baking time to 9 minutes; at the recommended 11-13 minutes, the cookies were a bit well done.
I sandwiched the cookies with dollops of raspberry and blackberry jams. Dorie Greenspan's suggestion for a chocolate filling sounded divine (hazelnuts & chocolate --- how can you go wrong!), and I'll definitely keep that in mind for the next time.
This was the perfect recipe to kick off the holiday baking season. This was just a warm up --- I have quite the variety of cookies to make this month, and I definitely be sharing them with you in future posts.

If you'd like to make this yourself (which I highly recommend), Noskos has it available on his blog. To see the handiwork of 350+ TWD bakers, check out the blogroll.