Chocolate Snowball, my cookbook of pastries from Deer Valley is now out in paperback and promoting and signings filled my December days off. Here is a link to my Seattle appearance in December. My two younger sisters, a niece and a nephew, a cousin and an aunt all make their homes in Seattle and came as my fan club in the audience. The Lemon Thumbprint cookies were a hit. And as you see in the video–you can cleverly fill the “thumbprint” depressions with jelly or jam as well.
Deer Valley Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted Darigold butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, toasted and finely ground
Lemon Curd (use the recipe in Chocolate Snowball, or your own.)
Beat butter and sugar in mixer until light and creamy; add vanilla and beat to blend. Sift flour, cornstarch and salt into separate mixing bowl; add walnuts.
Add flour/nut mixture to butter mixture and mix just until blended. Refrigerate dough at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325°F. Roll dough into 1-inch balls (or scoop with a #100 ice cream scoop) and place on lightly greased (or spray with non-stick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper) cookie sheets one inch apart. Press down center of each ball with thumb. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven; place on wire rack to cool. Fill hole with Lemon Curd once cookies are cool.
Makes about 66 Thumbprint cookies.
A full time job living in the land of excellent skiing doesn’t leave much time for blogging. Wouldn’t you rather go skiing than sit at the computer? It’s not that I haven’t been cooking–there is plenty yummy in our house. Just tonight I made “creamless” cauliflower soup, gingery spiced rice and mung bean stuffed acorn squash and for dessert–a feathery olive oil cake withe sliced vanilla pears. It seems I’d rather cook it that take photo and tell you all about it. A fellow CSA member and neighbor remembers my Minestrone soup and wants the recipe–but have not prioritized to post it. I do think of you, my readers, and my brain dreams of ideas to post. Currently in my car, as I travel from work to home and back, I am listening to The Omnivore’s Dilemma–yes I am finally reading this important book thanks to recorded books on CD. Did you know that xanthan gum, used in many of our favorite store-bought salad dressings, is likely made from corn? So much to blog–and so little time.
