Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies #FilltheCookieJar

Welcome to November's Fill the Cookie Jar. I missed last month, I seriously don't know what happened to be beginning of October but I'm glad to be back this month. The theme this month was Thanksgiving cookies. I had to really think about it...I couldn't do a pumpkin cookie since I did one in September but what else represented Thanksgiving. So off to Pinterest I went and searched for Thanksgiving cookie. I came across so many different types of cut out sugar cookies but I wanted something different and that's when I saw a picture of cranberry thumbprint cookies. Perfect! I always have leftover cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving dinner and this is another great way to use it.

The cookies are a little messy to make and I didn't get too many out of the recipe but one of these hits the spot. I love the addition of orange zest and cornmeal in the cookie and the cranberry sauce on top is the perfect way to sweeten up the cookie.

1 cup flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, stone-ground

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

1 egg, separated

Cranberry sauce:

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 inch strip orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal and salt until mixed well. In a larger bowl, cream together the butter and 1/2 cup of sugar until pale and fluffy with a hand mixer. Add in the orange zest and egg yolk. Mix together. On low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture until just combined. 

Whisk the egg white until frothy and place the 1/4 cup of sugar on a plate to prepare to make the cookies. Scoop 2 teaspoons of dough into your hands, roll into a ball and place on a plate. Continue rolling the cookies until all the dough has been used. Dip each dough ball into the egg white and then roll in the sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet about one inch apart. Gently press down on the center of the dough with your thumb to make a small impression. 

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven to completely cool. 

While the cookies are baking, make the cranberry sauce. In a small pan, add the cranberries, water, sugar and orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to low and simmer gently. Mash the cranberries until they're thick and almost like a jam, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a small bowl to cool. 

Once both the cookies and cranberry sauce have cooled and you're ready to serve the cookies, spoon a dollop of the cranberry sauce into the middle of each cookie. Enjoy!

Source: We are Not Martha