Toasted Cornmeal and Ginger Thumbprint Cookies with Strawberry Jam

Three dozen cookies

• 1 cup coarse cornmeal, toasted and cooled

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt

• 2 large egg yolks

• 2 tsp vanilla paste

• Strawberry jam – preferably homemade

• ½ cup coarse sugar (I use turbinado, but sanding sugar or even granulated sugar will work) 

1)     Toast the cornmeal in a non-stick skillet until darkened in color and aromatic. Set aside to cool completely

2)     Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the coarse sugar in a separate bowl.

3)     In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ginger, salt and cooled cornmeal.

4)     In a standing mixer, cream together the unsalted butter and confectioner’s sugar with the paddle until light and fluffy. Add the two egg yolks, one at a time, and then the vanilla paste.

5)     Add the dry mix and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms.

6)     Form balls of the dough, about 1 ½ Tbsp each, and roll each in the coarse sugar.  Place 18 of the cookie balls on each tray and then using your thumb, press in the center of each cookie dough ball to create an indentation.

7)     Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for eight minutes and remove the tray. Using a spoon, re-press down the indentation and fill each indentation with about one tsp of strawberry jam. Return the tray to the oven and bake for another ten minutes until the cookies are golden brown and the jam is bubbling.

8)     Cool the cookies on the tray for ten minutes before removing them to cool completely on a wire rack.