o.k...the holiday baking has begun...so fig jam thumbprint cookies, anyone?

i have spent most of my adult life traveling for business...whether driving, flying, or taking trains...corporate life required being away from home much of the time. i confess, in my "new" life i have gone in completely the opposite direction. you need a crowbar to get me to leave napa. we just returned home from a long weekend in southern california for the thanksgiving day holiday. this year, my cousin maria planned a family reunion celebration for the big day...and by reunion i mean the whole gang...my parents, sisters, husbands, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins kids...you name it...a huge crowd. i loved every minute...family is that "crow bar" i was referring to.

but now that i am home i really have no desire to go anywhere else for a while. so...i must confess...i reacted with dread when my friend sondra invited me to a "holiday cookie exchange" party in san francisco this month. (sorry sondra)...i love her...and have not seen many of my sf friends for a long time...but...that drive!!..in traffic!!! i almost declined the invitation. then i had a long talk with myself and decided to get a grip...i mean, c'mon...san francisco is an hour drive from napa...not exactly the same as packing for europe...traffic? i grew up in los angeles people...am an old hand at traffic. and i reminded myself of the important things in life...family and friends being at the top of the list...and what would the holiday season be without a ton of baking?

so...cookie exchange...here i come.... anyone interested in thumbprint cookies with fig and grand marnier jam? maybe the peanut butter and jelly cookies i told you about last month?...and then there are lavender cookies to consider...and what about chocolate with balsamic......?

i created these cookies to go with our fig & grand marnier jam....you can substitute regular fig jam and add orange zest....or use a citrus marmalade...whatever you like...

thumbprint cookies with fig-grand marnier jam

1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp orange zest finely grated and minced

fig and grand marnier jam or 1 cup fig jam mixed with 2 tsp finely grated orange zest

preheat oven to 350 degrees. prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with either silpat or parchment paper. in the bowl of a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until well mixed and fluffy. add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until completely incorporated. in a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt and then add to the mixer ingredients. mix until dry ingredients are combined with the wet ingredients...do not over mix. stir in the orange zest.

roll the dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place on prepared cookie sheet. use your thumb to make a small hole in the center of each cookie...press about 1/2 way down the dough ball. bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. remove from oven and fill each "thumbprint" 1/2 full with the jam. return to oven and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes until cookies are just beginning to turn golden. remove from oven and fill the rest of the thumbprint "hole" with the remaining jam. place on racks to cool before serving.

happy holiday baking everyone...whatcha making?

best,

diane

diane padoven

napa farmhouse 1885 (tm)

"live a green life of style"(tm)

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